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Hocho-Knife.com: Online Store for Authentic Japanese Knives with Over 12 Years of Experience to Launch Special Campaign Celebrating 200,000 Knives Sold

KOBE, Japan, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — IMPORT JAPAN.COM, INC., headquartered in Kobe city, Hyogo Prefecture, will launch a limited-time campaign offering a special coupon from April 10, 2025, on its “Hocho-Knife.com,” a special EC platform selling Japanese-made knives.

Image:
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M108638/202504016693/_prw_PI1fl_8pHGO7Lm.jpg 

For details of the special campaign, please visit: https://www.hocho-knife.com/promotion-pr/ 

Hocho-Knife.com is a Japan-based specialized e-commerce platform dedicated to delivering authentic Japanese knives worldwide. It has proudly served chefs and households for over 12 years. With more than 200,000 knives sold globally, the platform provides only carefully selected, high-quality made-in-Japan knives, shipped directly from Japan to ensure authenticity and reliability.

Bringing the Excellence of Japanese Kitchen Knives to the World

Japanese kitchen knives, renowned for their razor-sharp precision, durability and the craftsmanship of skilled artisans, have earned a global reputation among professional chefs. Hocho-Knife is proud to showcase and deliver these exceptional tools by carefully selecting knives that carry on Japan’s rich tradition of blade-making and sourcing, shipping them directly from Japan.

Highlights of Hocho-Knife

1. Authentic and unparalleled made-in-Japan knives

All knives featured on Hocho-Knife.com are 100% manufactured in Japan. Sourced directly from trusted blacksmiths and manufacturers in Japan’s most respected blade-producing regions — Sakai, Takefu and Seki, the selection ensures authentic craftsmanship and superior quality. Notable brands include:

Sakai Takayuki

Yu Kurosaki

– Kanetsune Seki

2. Extensive Selection of Over 5,000 Products

From “gyuto” and “santoku” knives to “deba” and “yanagiba” knives, Hocho-Knife offers a comprehensive range to meet the needs of everyone from home cooks to professional chefs.

3. Proven Track Record: Over a Decade of Trust

Since launching in 2012, Hocho-Knife.com has sold over 200,000 knives worldwide and gained more than 260,000 followers on Instagram. The platform continues to focus on traditional Japanese craftsmanship, delivering quality and tradition to customers around the world.

More Than Just an E-Commerce Platform

Hocho-Knife goes beyond selling knives — to share and promote Japan’s rich knife-making heritage. Its website offers valuable content, including guides on choosing the right knife, insights into craftsmanship, and detailed product information to share knowledge with and inspire customers.

Website: https://www.hocho-knife.com 

Fabrique Unveils First Bag Collection “Beach to City” with Designer Valeria Massai

NEW YORK, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As part of its Spring/Summer debut, Fabrique launches its first-ever bag collection, “Beach to City,” in collaboration with internationally renowned designer Valeria Massai. Fabrique collaborates with internationally renowned bag designer Valeria Massai to launch Fabrique‘s first bag collection, “Beach to City.” Centered around the fluid lifestyle of contemporary women, the collection breaks boundaries between different settings and seamlessly transitions between urban commuting, holiday roaming, and leisurely living. Valeria Massai, known for her innovative work at Prada and contributions to Bottega Veneta, brings her unique vision to this collaboration, expanding it as a fresh expression of her personal will, in partnership with Fabrique’s bag series.

Founded by two women from the film and media industry, Fabrique is a collective designer brand that works with over 300 exceptional designers from around the world to create exclusive pieces that are diverse in style. Shaping a distinct wardrobe for tastemakers


Philosophy of Life: Empowering Self-Expression and Embracing Boundaries

The inspiration behind the collaboration between Valeria Massai and Fabrique, “Beach to City”, embodies the seamless transition between the freedom and comfort of beach life and the sophistication and practicality of the city, serving as the core inspiration for this season’s Spring/Summer collection. This collection aims to combine the carefree essence of beach living with the elegant practicality of urban style, resulting in bags that cater to the needs of the modern woman: versatile, fashionable yet comfortable, and always elegant, regardless of the time of day.

Valeria Massai traces her roots back to her homeland – Italy. Infusing her designs with the essence of Italy’s beaches, churches, and art districts, incorporating colors and structures into her creations. Drawing inspiration from her hometown, including areas like Brera, Isola, and Duomo, she names each bag after these places.

In the design world, simple threads that connect beautiful ideas across the globe are crafted, showcasing a thoughtful approach evident in everything created—from the clothes designed to the bags made.

The inspiration for the ‘golden bean’ stud detail on the bags derives from the same hand-stitching mark found on all the clothes, serving as a distinctive signature that reflects the brand’s roots and commitment to innovation.

Everyday Chic: Meeting the Contemporary Woman’s Demands

This collection features a total of 3 bags, “Brera,” “Duomo,” and “Isola”. The series of bags adopts a lightweight structure for a sense of freedom and uses luxurious leather to convey a sense of long-lasting quality, allowing every modern woman to embrace her multifaceted self through these bags.

  • Brera” features a convertible design inspired by the day and night rhythms of the artistic Brera district in Milan. With one bag, fashionable individuals can explore three unique ways to carry it. Embrace a classy look suitable for workday chic, or reverse the bag inside out for a weekend getaway, revealing two distinct designs on each side. This bag embodies one design with two silhouettes, allowing for the expansion of the sides to achieve a spacious bucket look or gathering them for a compact, chic charm. Crafted from soft, reversible leather, “Brera” features a reversible design that reflects the fun and interesting Italian lifestyle. While one side exudes a formal elegance, the other side showcases a casual suede finish.
  • “Duomo” is named after a Gothic cathedral located in the heart of Milan, Italy. The bag’s structure draws inspiration from the skeleton of the Milan Cathedral, with vertical lines enhancing the silhouette, creating a visually appealing trapezoidal shape under a relaxed form. It is suitable for carrying documents, ultra-thin laptops, and other work items, making it perfect for those seeking an elegant and relaxed bag suitable for both work and leisure.

Fabrique and Valeria Massai collaborated to empower women to embrace their unique casual chic aesthetics while navigating the world with freedom and independence. These stylish bags serve as more than just accessories, embodying a contemporary lifestyle.

Fabrique’s innovative pricing strategy successfully bridges the gap between luxury brands and fast fashion, making the “Beach to City” bag collection accessible to all. Priced between $458 and $658, these versatile bags are available for purchase online, in stores, and through partner retailers worldwide.

For further information, please visit www.fbrq.com.
Fabrique Instagram: fabrique.official
Fabrique Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/FabriqueOfficial/
Fabrique Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554340161235
Fabrique Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@Fabrique.official 
Fabrique Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@fabrique.official_

 

Decentro Deepens Presence in Southeast Asia with DigiAlly, Launches Industry-First Real-Time Business Data For Credit

Introduces real-time financial insights, in partnership with DigiAlly, to power more innovative SME underwriting, drive more efficient cross-border trade, and broaden business credit access across ASEAN.

BENGALURU, India and SINGAPORE, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Decentro, India’s leading API banking and financial infrastructure platform, announced today that it is deepening its presence in Southeast Asia by launching its advanced business credit and underwriting solution. Powered by a partnership with Singapore-headquartered DigiAlly, this initiative brings real-time business financial intelligence to the ASEAN region—an industry-first capability enabling more innovative lending, risk assessment, and cross-border financial operations.

As Southeast Asia’s digital economy accelerates, access to credit and intelligent underwriting has become vital for both SMEs and fintechs. The Asian Development Bank estimates the SME credit gap in Asia to be over $2.1 trillion, with ASEAN nations representing a significant portion of the total. Yet, despite rapid fintech innovation, many financial institutions still rely on outdated verification and underwriting models, exposing them to fraud and slowing credit access. With 1 in 5 fraud cases now involving synthetic identities (Experian, 2023), the urgency for real-time business intelligence is apparent. Without modern, data-driven infrastructure, institutions risk falling behind—and missing out on the next wave of fintech-led growth.

Building on its robust consumer credit APIs and SaaS infrastructure, Decentro’s expanded stack now includes a comprehensive business credit infrastructure, supporting SME financing, invoice factoring, and cross-border trade. Through a single integration, fintech platforms and financial institutions across the ASEAN region can now access business financial reports, trade data, and verification insights—all in real time and also via a single, comprehensive PDF report. 

Commenting on the milestone, Rohit Taneja, Co-founder & CEO of Decentro, said, “At Decentro, we’ve always believed that the future of fintech is borderless, intelligent, and deeply integrated. Our expansion into Southeast Asia with a strong partner like DigiAlly allows us to power the next generation of business underwriting and credit access—making real-time KYB and financial data accessible at scale. Whether a large unit in Jakarta or a cross-border lender in Manila, the infrastructure to assess risk and unlock growth is now just an API away.”

With this move, Decentro introduces a unified business financial intelligence suite—an industry first in the ASEAN region—bringing together financial reports, trade history, and verification data into a single, downloadable PDF. The offering is already enabling:

  • Insurance companies to underwrite SME risk faster
  • Lenders and banks to assess business creditworthiness more accurately
  • Neobanks to verify & offer a credit line on the fly 
  • Payment service providers (PSPs) to verify businesses across borders with greater confidence

And here are the countries that are covered for this solution – 

  • Singapore 
  • India
  • Vietnam 
  • South Korea 
  • Australia 
  • Philippines
  • Indonesia 

DigiAlly, known for its deep credit and financial data intelligence solutions across Southeast Asia, will be a key data partner in this expansion. Its platform offers granular credit and financial analytics across company types, empowering lenders, PSPs, insurers, and trade platforms with faster, more accurate decision-making. This partnership will enhance Decentro’s product suite to meet the evolving demands of emerging markets and fast-scaling enterprises.

“Our collaboration with Decentro brings together the best of infrastructure and intelligence. With our credit and trade data combined with Decentro’s platform-first approach, we’re making real-time, AI-powered business insights available to financial players across Southeast Asia. This is a step forward for financial inclusion, risk transparency, and smart credit enablement,” Shrikant Patil, CEO of DigiAlly, said.

With this expansion, Decentro continues to simplify financial workflows across the globe, helping businesses of all sizes tap into local and international opportunities. The company’s entry into Southeast Asia follows its strong momentum in India, which recorded over 150% year-on-year growth in FY24 – 25. Building on this foundation, Decentro aims to deepen its presence across ASEAN, enable deep credit underwriting for both global and regional platforms, and power the next wave of fintech infrastructure across borders.

About Decentro

Founded in 2020, Decentro is a full-stack banking and fintech infrastructure platform that builds and empowers companies across India and Asia. With its products Flow (Payments & Money flow) and Fabric (KYC, Data & Intelligence), having 10+ modules across banking and payments, Decentro helps businesses remove over 90% of the friction and reduce the timeline they face when it comes to the flow of money and financial data. 

Decentro powers over 1200+ companies, including CRED, MakeMyTrip, Meesho, MoneyTap, AU small finance bank, and many more, helping them with a robust credit & banking infrastructure. Decentro was founded by Rohit Taneja and Pratik Daudkhane and is backed by investors like Y-Combinator, Rapyd Ventures, and Soma Capital, among many others.

For more information, please visit https://decentro.tech/global

About DigiAlly

DigiAlly is a Singapore-based fintech pioneering a unique trust-based Embedded Finance platform for fostering “Frictionless Credit.” We help Financial Institutions make faster, cheaper, and better decisions during their lending journey with SMEs. They create an AI-powered trust score that represents a holistic health check of SMEs, proactively covering operational, market, and credit risks. DigiAlly assesses the overall portfolio of financial institutions across the value chain and assists them in optimising collections through continuous portfolio monitoring.

 

Volcano in the Philippines Sends Ash Miles Into the Air

Volcano erupts in central Philippines on 8 April. (Photos: C.N Photography)

AFP – A volcano in the central Philippines erupted early morning on 8 April, sending a plume of ash 4,000 meters into the sky and prompting calls for local school cancellations.

Kanlaon Volcano, one of 24 active volcanoes in the Southeast Asian nation, erupted in December, prompting the evacuation of surrounding villages.

The area around the volcano on the island of Negros was still under evacuation orders when Tuesday’s eruption occurred.

“An explosive eruption is currently occurring at the summit vent of Kanlaon Volcano that began at 5:51 am today,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.

The volcano “is producing a voluminous bent plume approximately 4,000 meters tall that is drifting southwest”, it said.

The eruption stopped at 6:47 am local time, the institute reported later.

Videos posted on social media showed a wide, billowing plume of smoke slowly stretching into the sky.

“We were prepared for the eruption. The families within the 4 to 6 kilometers were already evacuated during the previous eruption last December,” John De Asis, a rescue official in Negros Occidental province’s La Castellana municipality, told AFP.

“Right now we are just monitoring which villages will be affected by the ashfall.”

He added they were recommending “the cancellation of classes and work in the municipality.”

Channel Nicor, 22, said she was waiting for a bus to take her to school when the eruption struck.

“The sound seemed like a big rock had fallen from a high place, then I looked up and saw the (ash cloud) getting bigger and bigger from the volcano,” she told AFP.

“When I saw the ash of course I felt nervous, but not as nervous as the previous eruption, because this time we know what to do.”

The level three alert, out of a scale of five, put in place during December’s eruption remained unchanged.

In September, hundreds of nearby residents were evacuated after the volcano spurted thousands of tones of harmful gases in a single day.


© Agence France-Presse

Empowering marketers with data-driven HCP engagement strategies, Doceree introduces the APAC edition of HIEP report

SHORT HILLS, N.J., April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Following the success of its HIEP—UK/EU edition last year, Doceree, the world’s first global network of physician-only platforms for programmatic messaging, today announced the launch of the second edition of HIEP, tailored for the APAC region. Curated independently, the report serves as a strategic guide for healthcare marketers, equipping them with data-driven insights to foster meaningful engagement with healthcare professionals (HCPs) in emerging APAC markets.

Empowering marketers with data-driven HCP engagement strategies, Doceree introduces the APAC edition of HIEP report
Empowering marketers with data-driven HCP engagement strategies, Doceree introduces the APAC edition of HIEP report

HIEP (High Interaction & Engagement Platforms) by Doceree has been introduced to address a critical gap in healthcare marketing today, i.e., the misalignment between media spends and HCP engagement on digital platforms. In an ideal world, investments in digital advertising must be directly proportional to the time healthcare professionals (HCPs) spend on various platforms. However, that is not the case as a significant portion of marketing budgets is often funnelled into channels that do not align with HCPs’ actual digital behavior, but with the familiarity of accessing advertising inventory on few platforms, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

The HIEP Report aims to bridge this gap by providing pharmaceutical brands and agencies with data-driven insights into where and how HCPs engage online, enabling them to optimize their media spend for maximum impact. By mapping HCPs’ digital footprints, the report empowers marketers to make informed, strategic decisions, ensuring their campaigns reach the right audience on the most relevant platforms.

Commenting on the launch of HIEP-APAC, Harshit Jain, MD, Founder & Global CEO, Doceree, said, “We are thrilled to introduce the APAC edition of our HIEP Report. This edition underscores how marketers can enhance HCP engagement and achieve significant outcomes by leveraging analytics, technology, and high-interaction platforms. By shifting from a push-oriented strategy to a collaborative, pull-driven approach, brands can establish more meaningful relationships with HCPs-and that’s the exact approach this report aims to empower the pharma marketers with.”

Some highlights from the HIEP Report (APAC Edition) are as below:

  • Exclusive insights into physician-frequented platforms
  • Proven strategies to enhance engagement quality and optimize marketing ROI
  • Real-world case study on the successful integration of digital platforms in healthcare marketing

Preetha Vasanji, President – Emerging Markets, Doceree, reinforced the importance of an integrated, omnichannel approach, saying, “The HIEP Report urges marketers to move beyond fragmented strategies and embrace a unified omnichannel approach. A well-orchestrated strategy amplifies every interaction with HCPs, leading to better engagement, stronger relationships, and ultimately, more effective healthcare solutions.”

Click here to know more about the report – https://info.doceree.com/report-hiep-apac-hcp-engagement?hs_preview=NgdlhFSU-214465772738

About Doceree:

Leading the way in making HCP-patient conversations richer and more meaningful through patented responsive technology, Doceree addresses both current and emerging challenges for healthcare and life sciences organizations in HCP-patient engagement, particularly where digital and technological advancements play a crucial role. We leverage our patented technology to ensure that HCP-patient conversations and interactions are more meaningful, richer, and outcome-oriented. Learn more: www.doceree.com

 

SingWealth Holdings Invites Media to Grand Opening of PFPFA HK Limited in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Members of the media are invited to attend the official launch event of PFPFA HK Limited, a newly established entity under SingWealth Holdings, following the company’s successful acquisition of an insurance brokerage license in Hong Kong.

This event marks a significant milestone in SingWealth’s regional expansion and will offer a unique opportunity to engage with senior leadership and key stakeholders as the company outlines its vision for delivering cross-border wealth management solutions across Asia.

Event Details

Date: 28 May 2025
Time: 11:00 AM3:00 PM
Venue: Gonpachi Restaurant, Tsim Sha Tsui, 28/F, One Peking, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

This gathering will offer a unique opportunity to connect with senior leaders from SingWealth Holdings and PFPFA HK Limited, including:

  • Mr. Jeffrey Chow, Director of SingWealth Holdings
  • Mr. Peter Huber, Non-Executive Chairman of SingWealth Holdings

The event will also bring together guests and industry professionals to explore the broader implications of this expansion on the region’s financial services landscape.

We look forward to welcoming you to this special occasion and celebrating this exciting new chapter together.

Warm regards,
Verlois Lee
Head of Group Marketing
PFP Group Services Pte. Ltd.

About SingWealth Holdings 

SingWealth is a holding company that manages various subsidiaries across Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Mainland China and Hong Kong. The group of companies includes PFP Group Services Pte Ltd (Providing shared services support to related entities); PFPFA Pte Ltd (Licensed Financial Adviser in Singapore); PFPFA HK Ltd (Licensed Insurance Broker Company in Hong Kong); PFP Legacy Singapore Pte Ltd, PFP Legacy Consultancy Co., Ltd., PFP Legacy Sdn Bhd, PFP Legacy Hong Kong Limited and PFP Legacy Shanghai Co., Ltd. (Catering to the increasing demands of emerging affluent customers in East and Southeast Asia for wills and trust services in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong respectively).  

 Additionally, Assure Family Clinic, a subsidiary specializing in General Practitioner (GP) services, providing Advance Medical Directive services and is dedicated to delivering exceptional healthcare tailored to the needs of families and individuals. 

ANNA Money flies past 550% compound annual growth, as Aussie SMEs embrace digitised financial services

SYDNEY, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — One year after acquiring business credit card fintech Cape, AI-powered SME fintech ANNA Money has revealed 550 percent compound annual growth and other metrics that indicate a strong shift by Australian SMEs towards digitised financial services.

ANNA Money, which has since absorbed Cape’s brand and products, revealed that volumes of SME financial transactions are now at record highs.

Total payment volume (TPV) in March 2025 ballooned 287 percent year-on-year (YoY) from March 2024, while TPV in Q1 2025 (January to March) also increased by 173 percent YoY compared to Q1 2024.

Average transaction value in March 2025 also grew 122 percent YoY from $284.43 to $631.95, signaling deeper engagement for the customers of SMEs, with businesses using cards for higher-value transactions.

Customer adoption also accelerated at an unprecedented pace, with more customers onboarded in Q4 2024 alone compared to the entire previous 9 months combined.

As a result, ANNA Money’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) overall surged past 550 percent, placing it in the top 15 fastest growing startups in Australia.

It comes as Suncorp research shows 46 percent of SMEs reported an increase in revenue over the past 12 months, SMEs with growing profitability grew from 49 percent to  54 percent, and 65 percent of SMEs have increased their investment in digital tools and automation. It also showed that 32 percent of SMEs have expanded their workforce in the past year while only 14 percent reported job cuts, indicating a positive employment trend.

According to ANNA Money, these surging figures indicate the most positive growth surge for Australian SMEs since COVID-19 business subsidies ended, as well as a growing appetite for the digitisation of financial services by businesses.

Ryan Edwards-Pritchard, CEO of ANNA Money Australia, said: “What we’re witnessing goes beyond typical business growth—it’s a fundamental shift in how Australian SMEs are embracing digital financial services.

“It’s no secret that SMEs globally suffered in the wake of COVID. As government subsidies were switched off, companies in Australia in particular have experienced a large reset that has proven particularly challenging.

“However, since ANNA Money’s acquisition of Cape 12 months ago, we have witnessed a dramatic acceleration across all key performance indicators that also indicates that Australian SMEs are experiencing their most explosive SME rebound since COVID.

“The latter half of 2024 in particular marked this turning point, with customer adoption and transaction volumes surging to record highs, requiring us to shore up our Sydney team in order to support the exceptional growth.

“This phenomenal year-over-year growth doesn’t only solidify ANNA Money as a major fintech success story, proving the power of the strategic acquisition. It also highlights the resilience and growing strength of Australian SMEs, and the increasing demand for smarter, more flexible business credit solutions.

“We see this upward trajectory continuing at pace well into the remainder of 2025.”

With SMEs increasingly seeking AI-powered financial tools to optimise cash flow and credit management, ANNA Money is accelerating its product innovation roadmap and expanding its Australian footprint.

ANNA Money (www.anna.money or www.annamoney.au) is an AI-powered business account and tax app designed to streamline financial management for small businesses. Supporting more than 100,000 UK businesses, Anna.Money’s vision is to make life easier for small businesses owners, to take away boring admin so they can focus on growing their businesses. From generating invoices on command to chasing payments, receipt scanning and helping to set aside the right amount of money for tax.

Founded with the aspiration, ‘absolutely no nonsense admin’ Anna.Money’s name and mission were born, winning “Best Application of AI or ML in Financial Services” at the 2023 Card and Payments Awards. The company continues to pioneer the use of AI, machine learning and Large Language Models (LLMs) to make things simpler and easier for small businesses across the UK, and now Australia. With the acquisition of Cape, Anna.Money will soon add expense management and credit cards to its UK customers.

ANNA Money was in the latest Bloomberg’s 25 Startups to Watch list, ranked #26 in the Deloitte Fast 50 and #18 in the The Sunday Times 100 Tech list.

Vietnam Seeks US Tariff Delay as Economic Growth Slows in First Quarter

Vietnamese garment factory workers stitch apparel at a factory in Ho Chi Minh City on 3 April, after US President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping new tariffs on trading partners. Vietnam's economy grew at a slightly slower pace in the first quarter, government figures showed on 6 April, as the Southeast Asian country braces for the impact of colossal tariffs imposed by Washington. (Photo by Huu Kha / AFP)

By Lam NGUYEN/AFP – Vietnam has asked for a last-minute delay to colossal tariffs imposed by Washington as government figures showed on 6 April that its economy grew at a slightly slower pace in the first quarter.

The Southeast Asian manufacturing powerhouse counted the United States as its biggest export market in the first three months of the year but its key customer has now hit it with a thumping 46 percent tariff.

The move is part of a furious new global trade blitz announced Wednesday by US President Donald Trump that has sent markets around the world into a tailspin.

However, top leader To Lam has asked Trump for a delay of at least 45 days to the new 46 percent tariff, according to a copy of a formal letter seen by AFP.

In the letter, Lam said he had appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc to serve as the primary contact with the US side on the issue, “with the aim of reaching an agreement as soon as possible”.

He also said he hoped to meet Trump in Washington at the end of May to finalise the matter.

Trump said on Friday he had had “a very productive” call with Lam, who he said wanted to make a deal on tariffs.

Gross domestic product in Vietnam during the first quarter grew 6.93 percent year-on-year, down slightly from the 7.55 expansion in the final quarter of last year, Vietnam’s General Statistics Office said on 6 April.

Despite the challenge presented by US levies, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said a target of “at least eight percent” growth this year remains unchanged, the government’s official news portal said.

To achieve its goal, Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has determined that the economy will need to grow between 8.2 and 8.4 percent in the remaining quarters, the government said.

Significant Damage

The US tariffs threaten to “significantly damage” Vietnam’s current growth model, which relies heavily on exports to the United States, said Sayaka Shiba, senior country risk analyst at research firm BMI.

She said that, in the worst-case scenario, Vietnam could suffer a three-percent hit to GDP this year.

Trump has claimed the Communist country charges the United States a 90 percent tariff, a figure based on Vietnam’s trade surplus with the United States, worth USD 123.5 billion last year.

Experts believe the new tariffs will hit hardest in sectors such as seafood, garments, footwear, wood, electronics and smartphones.

Major US corporations with manufacturing operations in Vietnam, including Nike and Adidas, are likely to see orders decrease and reductions in revenue, potentially leading to factory downsizing and job losses, Pham Van Dai, a lecturer in economics at Fulbright University Vietnam, told AFP.

Business groups have also called on the Trump administration to delay the imposition of reciprocal tariffs.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that they sent a joint letter on 5 April to the US commerce secretary expressing “deep concern” over the policy and urging a delay.

Vietnam’s exports rose 10.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, official data showed, increasing significantly from 7.9 percent growth in the final quarter of 2024.

Industrial production was up 7.8 percent year-on-year, slowing from an 11.5 percent expansion in the previous quarter.

Experts believe investors are still holding a “wait and see” mentality amid the uncertainty caused by Trump’s tariffs.

“Now is the worst time for investors to make long-term decisions,” said Dai, adding that they are waiting for “clearer policies from the United States and (other) countries’ responses”.


© Agence France-Presse