VINACHEM

Asian markets diverged Tuesday as bargain buying after recent losses played against ongoing worries about the outlook for the global economy and the impact of a second Donald Trump presidency. 

Vietnam’s GDP growth is projected to reach 7.5% under normal conditions and up to 8% in an optimistic scenario for 2025. 

Resource-wise, Russia has been endowed with the entire Periodic Table of Elements. Amid the growing global competition for strategic tech minerals, here are the opportunities and challenges facing Russia if it seeks rare earths superpower status. 

The coming years are set to exacerbate the global geoeconomic competition for the world’s mineral resources, with President Trump openly eyeing 12 million sq km of territory containing untold riches. Here are the conflicts, present and potentially future, to watch out for. 

Last year, ICIS estimated that China’s polypropylene (PP) capacity exceeding its demand was 6.9m tonnes. 

Vietnam shipped 1.73 million tonnes of fertilizers abroad throughout 2024 for US$709.91 million, marking an annual increase of 11.7% in volume and 9.4% in value, reported the General Department of Vietnam Customs. 

China's exports gained momentum in December, with imports also showing recovery, though strength at the year-end was in part fuelled by factories rushing inventory overseas as they braced for heightened trade risks under a Trump presidency.