HANOI (Reuters): Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade said on Monday it had asked local firms to diversify their markets to mitigate the negative impacts of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The conflict is expected to push up costs, including logistics and transport costs, affecting production and trading activities in Vietnam, the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, The board of directors of Vietnam's Vingroup has approved a plan to raise up to $350 million through the sale of bonds on a foreign stock exchange, a filing with the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange said on Friday.
Some further details from the filing are:
* The bonds are expected to have a coupon rate of 5.75%.
* The USD-denominated bonds will have a maturity of 5 years.
* The bonds are expected to be listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange in Austria.
* The bonds are expected to be issued in the second quarter. -- Reuters
