The forum was organized by Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper, the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies (HIDS) and the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association (HUBA).
Among attendees at the CEO Forum 2025 were Deputy Head of the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Nam, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of SGGP Newspaper journalist Nguyen Khac Van, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper journalist Pham Van Truong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper Bui Thi Hong Suong, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Foodstuff Association Ly Kim Chi, Deputy General Director of Saigon Co.op Le Truong Son, Deputy General Director of Saigon Cosmetics Corporation Le Duy Cuong, Director of the Arobid E-commerce Platform Tran Van Chin, Chairman of the Vietnam Retailers Association Nguyen Anh Duc.
The forum gathered more than 100 business leaders, experts, specialists and representatives from agencies including Dr. Can Van Luc, Chief Economist at BIDV and Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council; Dr. Pham Binh An, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Quan, Director of the Institute for Circular Economy Development.
Representatives from banks and financial institutions including Ho Chi Minh City Finance and Investment State-Owned Company (HFIC), Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank), the Joint Stock Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) and digital transformation enterprises like FPT Group and Viettel were present at the forum.
Additionally, there are numerous businesses from industries directly impacted by technical barriers and trade defense policies in the sectors of textiles and garments, wood products, steel and food.
The CEO Forum 2025 is the key activity in the event series “Pride in national identity- integration position” which aims to build the image of Vietnamese entrepreneurs and businesses as resilient, globally integrated and collaboratively competitive.
Speaking at the CEO Forum 2025, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade Bui Ta Hoang Vu shared that immediately after changes in U.S. trade policies, the department has determined that export markets for Ho Chi Minh City businesses are important, following a range of working sessions between the department and businesses.
Although exports to the U.S. account for only about 10 percent of the city’s total export turnover, Ho Chi Minh City always identifies the United States as a strategic market owing to its influence on global consumer behavior and supply chains.
As a result, Ho Chi Minh City has determined that timely responses and long-term strategic adjustments are critically needed.
Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade Bui Ta Hoang Vu encouraged businesses to seek solutions to maximize the benefits of free trade agreements (FTAs), which Vietnam has not yet absolutely taken these advantages.
From a state management perspective, he aspired that businesses would continue to promote the strengths provided by these agreements and actively offer feedback and recommendations to make more effective and supportive policies.
Currently, the Minister of Industry and Trade is responsible for presiding over trade negotiations with the United States with the hope of a reasonable and adjustable tariff framework that can help reduce input costs in the short term and expand market access.
In the first four months of this year, Ho Chi Minh City recorded an export value of US$36.6 billion, an increase of 11 percent over the same period last year, which is a good sign for recovery under the pressure of the U.S.’s 90-day postponement of its new tariffs.
The leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade also emphasized the need to better leverage the domestic market’s potential, enhance internal capabilities and foster linkages, especially in raw material regions and market networks.
In the upcoming time, once Ho Chi Minh City is merged with two provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau, it will create a broader development space for businesses. The city is set to further solidify its role as a central hub in numerous economic sectors, he added.
In his opening remarks, journalist Nguyen Khac Van, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper, emphasized that this year’s CEO Forum is taking place amidst unpredictable market trends and fluctuations.
He hoped that the forum would serve as a platform to spark diverse perspectives and practical, sector-specific solutions.
Amid increasingly fierce trade barriers, many Vietnamese businesses, especially ones in the textile, wood and food industries, are facing significant challenges. The forum is expected to offer an important opportunity for chief executive officers to share their difficulties, propose practical support policies and connect with innovation-driven resources.
