Vietnam's rice exports to Europe continued to grow in the first quarter of 2022, thanks to the Europe-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA), according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to hold a forum connecting more than 300 overseas Vietnamese businesses, promoting trade and investment in the agricultural industry from all over the world.

The ST25 sign lodged for trademark protection by a number of companies in the USA and Australia has been discussed recently. While the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam affirmed that ST25 is a common name for rice, it cannot be protected as a trademark. What should business owners pay attention to select a trademark which meets the requirements under the Law of Intellectual Property (IP) of Vietnam and other countries?

The Vietnam Trade Office (VTO) in Australia has sent an official letter enclosed with documents and photos to the IP Australia to clarify that the ST24 and ST25 rice varieties were researched and produced by Vietnamese scientists and granted trademark protection certificates in the country.