Dear AmCham,

Welcome to the first week of April! To those of you who celebrate it, hope you had a memorable Easter.

The first quarter was very active for AmCham, as you would agree. Vietnam’s Q1 GDP growth was a strong 5.7%, albeit a bit lower than the 6.7% growth in Q4-2023. Export growth was strong led by electronics, and traditional sectors such as textiles and footwear grew too. Overall tourist arrivals are now over 10% higher than pre-Covid, with an uptick in arrivals from China. FDI continued to be strong. Overall the outlook for the rest of the year seems promising.

AmCham will continue to be active with multiple events and advocacy as we head to the middle of the year.

U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana was the main guest during a Business Roundtable we hosted on Wednesday, March 27th. Senator Young serves on the Senate's Foreign Relations, Commerce, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committees, among others. His visit was focused on Vietnam's role in global supply chains, as well as trade and investment opportunities.

Discussions focused around opportunities in energy, trade agreements, and educational partnerships, as well as the upcoming election. Joining the event were U.S. Consul General Susan Burns, AmCham Hanoi Chair Joseph Uddo, and HCMC Governors James Meffen and Walt Power, among other members. Special thanks to member Fred Burke for helping make this event possible. To see more photos of the event, please click here.

We introduced AmCham Trivia at our Connect & Cocktails networking event last Wednesday at Pasteur Craft Beer Sala. Participants now have more chances to win more prizes thanks to our sponsors. Special thanks to Governors Leo Garcia (Coca-Cola) for leading the trivia. To see more photos of the event, please click here.

On March 26th with the support of member Mark Gillin and member organization Fulbright University Vietnam, we organized a lunch discussion with renowned author and political analyst Chris Matthews.

Mr. Matthews is currently a guest lecturer at Fulbright University Vietnam. He shared his insights on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Over 30 people attended the event, including U.S. Deputy Consul General Anne Benjaminson, Governors James Meffen, Jesse Boone, and Giang Vu, as well as members and other guests. Click for more photos of the event.

We encourage our members to engage with our sectoral Committees by proposing events that would bring value, suggesting advocacy topics, and sharing insights and developments during the monthly Committee meetings. For more details, please reach out to Lily Nguyen, our Events and Committees Manager.

We welcome your feedback on how we can support you better. Please email us at team@amchamvietnam.com.

RamC

[Reuters] Vietnam economy expands by 5.66% in Q1 as exports boom. Vietnam's gross domestic product in the first quarter grew 5.66% from a year earlier as exports boomed, government data released on Friday showed, despite higher shipping costs due to turmoil in the Red Sea.

[VN Express International] FDI inflow into Vietnam up 13.4%. Vietnam had attracted $6.17 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) as of March 20, a year-on-year rise of 13.4%, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

[Vietnam Investment Review] US and Vietnam build momentum with upgraded ties. In the six months since the historic upgrade of the US-Vietnam relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the United States and Vietnam have built on the momentum of our elevated relationship to advance bilateral cooperation across a range of areas.

[Reuters] US, Vietnamese top diplomats discuss greater chip cooperation, State Dept says. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son discussed expanding cooperation in semiconductors and supply chain diversification in a meeting on Monday in Washington, the State Department said.

[Vietnam Briefing] Vietnam Unveils Decree 32/2024/ND-CP on the Management and Development of Industrial Clusters. Effective from May 1, 2024, Decree 32/2024/ND-CP by the Vietnam government will streamline processes and increase transparency for the management and development of industrial clusters.

[US Mission in Vietnam] Fact Sheet: United States and Vietnam Building on the Momentum of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In the six months since the historic upgrade of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, announced  by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, both countries have built on the momentum of our elevated relationship to advance bilateral cooperation across a range of areas.

Members are welcome to join, in-person or virtually

• Education & Training Committee Meeting, Wednesday, Apr 3 – 9:00 am
• Capital Markets and Financial Services Committee (CMFSC) Meeting, Monday, Apr 8 – 4:00 pm
• Energy Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Apr 9 – 3:00 pm
• Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee Meeting, Thursday, Apr 11 – 4:00 pm
• Manufacturing Committee Meeting, Friday, Apr 12 – 9:00 am
• Digital Economy & Technology Committee Meeting, Tuesday, Apr 16 – 9:00 am
• Healthcare Committee Meeting, Wednesday, Apr 17 – 4:15 pm
• Logistics & Supply Chain Committee Meeting, Wednesday, Apr 24 – 9:00 am
• HR Committee Meeting, Thursday, Apr 25 – 9:00 am

We would like to extend our warmest welcome to our newest members. Thank you for your support!