In order to assist foreign-invested enterprises-key exporters of the country-to solve difficulties amid the global economic crisis, the ministry of industry and trade has just organized a seminar to collect opinions of representatives from northern FDI firms. Addressing the seminar, businesses agreed that administrative procedures, tariff policies and customs are main barriers to them.

Australia and New Zealand will cut their import tariff on Vietnam's products by 85 percent and 96.4 percent, respectively, by 2010 before granting the Southeast Asian country a complete tariff exemption by 2020.

Vietnam's GDP growth rate fell sharply in the first quarter of this year to 3.1 percent, less than half of the figure recorded a year ago, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) announced on March 25.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the two leading State food corporations to buy up rice from farmers at a reasonable price to ensure they can enjoy a 30-percent profit.

Exports rise slightly in Feb.  The country's revenue from exports in February is estimated to hit US$4.3 billion, up 15.5 percent from the previous month, said Bui Ha, head of the Department for National Economic Issues under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Africa is a promising market for Vietnamese rice exporters but long distances and associated costs and payment delays have discouraged them from exploring the continent, according to a meeting Tuesday.

Domestic rice exporters are striving to export 1 million tonnes of rice in the fourth quarter, double that of the same period last year, to meet the annual export target of 4.6-4.7 million tonnes, according to the Vietnam Food Association (Vietfood).

HANOI, June 20 Asia Pulse - Vietnam has set a target of exporting US$450 million worth of vegetables and fruits by 2005.

Vietnam said on Thursday it has raised its economic growth target to between 9.1 percent and 9.2 percent next year from an earlier 8.7 percent, with the aim of boosting incomes and reducing poverty.

Companies from the US state of Missouri are expected to ship more than US$2 million in agriculture products in the coming months to Vietnam, the Missouri Department of Agriculture said Monday.