Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – August 18

Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnam and Mexico will strengthen parliamentary cooperation through delegation exchanges and sharing legislative experience, according to an agreement reached by Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and General Secretary of the Mexican Labor Party Alberto Anaya Gutierrez in Hanoi on Monday.

Society

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday ordered northern and north-central provinces to proactively respond to heavy rains forecast from August 17 to 21, with rainfall expected to reach 150-300mm and locally exceed 450mm, while requiring authorities to review response plans and evacuate residents from areas at risk of flooding, flash floods, and landslides.

-- Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc has ordered relevant agencies to investigate and strictly punish violations involving unauthorized drones that disrupt flight operations at airports, while strengthening the management, licensing, and monitoring of drones and measures to prevent them from entering restricted airspace.

-- VETC Electronic Toll Collection Company Limited began charging a monthly account management fee of VND6,600 (US$0.25) for individual customers on August 1, while ePass plans to introduce the same fee this month, ending a service that was previously free.

Business

-- The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers on Monday warned that Vietnamese tra fish (pangasius) exports to the U.S. will face tougher competition after the U.S. Department of Commerce sharply raised final anti-dumping duties for several Vietnamese exporters, on top of a 12.5-percent Section 301 tariff.

-- Vietnam's e-commerce market, which currently accounts for about 10 percent of total retail sales, still has significant room for growth as platforms such as TikTok Shop seek to digitize traditional businesses, local brands, agricultural products, and craft villages through 'discovery commerce' and improved logistics and services, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

-- The Vietnam International Financial Centre on Monday launched an online system for registering and recognizing members for 2026-27, jointly introduced by its executive agencies in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to digitalize administrative procedures and improve services for investors and businesses.

Culture

-- Hanoi International Film Festival VIII is set to take place on November 28, with film screenings, cultural programs, exhibitions, and other activities scheduled across the capital from November 26 to December 2, according to an organizing plan issued by local authorities.