Vietnamese footwear companies said they plan to increase their local market share to 50 percent this year, up from 30 percent currently. According to the Hanoi-based Leather and Shoe Research Institute, 130 million pairs of shoes are sold in the country every year, but foreign products are account for 70 percent of the total figure. Diep Thanh Kiet, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear... 

Disbursement of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam could rise 10 percent to between $10 billion and $11 billion this year, thanks to the global economic recovery, a government minister was quoted as saying. “Disbursed capital in 2010 will be higher than in 2009 as the flows of pledges in previous years are high and the world’s economy tends to recover,” Planning and Investment... 

Toshiba Corp., the money-losing company whose businesses range from chip-making and consumer electronics to nuclear plants, said it’s considering ending liquid-crystal-display TV manufacturing in Vietnam to cut costs. “We’re considering shutting our LCD TV manufacturing operation in Vietnam, but we’ve made no decision,” said Toshiba spokeswoman Yuko Sugahara, after Bisnis Indonesia reported... 

Vietnam is Siemens most successful market in the region, said president of the world’s leading electrical and electronic company in Vietnam. Despite the thumping the international economic crisis gave markets around the globe, the Germany-based giant retained high growth in Vietnam last year, said Erdal Elver, though official 2009 statistics have not been released yet. Elver told Thanh Nien Weekly... 

Vietnam has launched its first dispute at the World Trade Organization with a case against US anti-dumping measures on its key exports of shrimp. The country only joined the global trade arbiter three years ago, and its economy like China’s has benefited strongly from membership in the world trading system and its rules. The trade dispute with the United States not only has symbolic significance... 

Despite the global economic crisis, Vietnam’s retail turnover rose by 18.6 percent in 2009 – an encouraging figure in light of the fact that many retail markets in the world recorded negative growth. The Association of Vietnamese Retailers (AVR) says this result shows a comprehensive development of the Vietnamese retail business with regard to volume, structure, networks and human resources. Abundant... 

HCMC – South Korea’s leading department store operator Lotte Shopping will open on a trial basis a new shopping center next week in HCMC, bringing to second the number of its outlets in the city. Lotte Vietnam Shopping Co., a unit of Lotte Shopping, will operate the new store on the first five floors of The EverRich apartment building at the corner of Ba Thang Hai – Le Dai Hanh streets...