The 9th International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2011) on the theme of “Vietnam - Integration and Development” will be held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in HCM City from November 30 to December 3.

Vietnam exported 6.38 million tonnes of rice, worth US$3.22 billion, in the past 10 months of this year.

Cocoa of the Cho Gao (Rice Market) co-operative in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has been UTZ Certified.

An international exhibition on Vietnam Communications/ Vietnam Internet & IT/ Vietnam Electronics opened at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centre in Hanoi on November 16.

Fruit and vegetable exports to rise. Fruit and vegetable export turnover is expected to increase significantly during the last months of the year. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said many countries in Asia and the EU have suffered from bad weather conditions, seeing a sharp decline in both vegetable and fruit yields.

The second Vietnam Rice Festival ended on November 11 in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, affirming the important role agriculture, farmers and rural areas play in the Vietnamese economy.

The 11th annual Vietnam Agriculture Trade Fair (AgroViet 2011) opened in Hanoi on November 11. The event is an important trade promotion activity of the agricultural sector, which aims to help individuals and businesses promote their brands and exchange information on science and technology.

The first international tea festival opened in the northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen on November 10

Vietnam is striving to earn US$95 billion from exports by the end of this year and to keep its import surplus at a safe level, said Nguyen Thanh Bien, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade.

Gold prices in most jewellery shops in the country rose VND600,000 per tael at the opening session of November 8.

The Government has issued Decree 101/2011/ND-CP based on cutting corporate and individual tax rates to iron out snags in production and business activities.

The Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (LAFASO) in collaboration with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Company- the world's leading source of commercial information and insight on businesses held a seminar in HCM City on November 4 to help footwear businesses overcome difficulties.

The Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) has pledged to provide VND5,000 billion in loans for businesses to purchase coffee from farmers for the 2011-2012 crop.

The northern mountain province of Thai Nguyen has completed preparations for the first international tea festival which are scheduled to take place from November 11-15, says a provincial official.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has highlighted the leading role of the World Bank (WB) in funding Vietnam and called on other donors to provide aid for the country.