The Southeast Asian country is hoping for a reprieve from 46 percent duty, which would pummel its economy.

The Southeast Asian country is hoping for a reprieve from 46 percent duty, which would pummel its economy.

Pham Nhat Vuong’s Xanh SM has big ambitions, but critics question its growth potential in fiercely competitive market.
![[Nguyen/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CTF00106-Enhanced-NR-1732666871.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Hanoi is hoping to benefit from the push to de-risk from China amid intensifying geopolitical tensions.

Small scale recycling is under way but most rubbish still ends up in landfills and waste-to-energy plans have stalled.

Apple, Google, and Samsung are among the tech giants expanding operations in the fast-growing Southeast Asian country.

Announcement from Health Ministry also bans conversion therapy but lacks enforcement powers.

Country says it can no longer be ‘rice first’ as farmers urged to change planting techniques or consider alternatives.
![Rice is a major export for Vietnam but also contributes to its greenhouse gas emissions because its cultivation produces methane [File: Luong Thai Linh/EPA]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/h_02073028.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Mass exodus of migrant workers from Vietnam’s COVID-19 epicentre prompts fears of virus surge in rural areas.
![People, mostly migrant workers who are planning to return to their hometowns, wait at a checkpoint to leave Ho Chi Minh City on October 1, 2021 [Stringer/ Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2021-10-04T060007Z_170356646_RC211Q9HMGVB_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-VIETNAM-LABOUR.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Overwhelmed hospitals and food shortages in Ho Chi Minh City as authorities extend total lockdown.
![A man living in an area under lockdown receives food through a barricade during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam July 20, 2021 [File: Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021-08-16T121734Z_48532133_RC2C6P9H56QT_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-VIETNAM.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)