China and Its Neighbors Are Ravaging the Mekong
Today, the river is again under siege. Dams may provide electric power to boost economic growth, but extract a terrible toll on the flora and fauna that villages have depended upon for millennia. Statecraft is colliding with major power tensions and national development goals, and the Mekong is coming off worse. Rarely, if ever, has the river's future been more embattled. Co-operation is in short supply, just as it's needed most.
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New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
How One American Brand Stays Ahead of Trump Tariff Whac-a-Mole
Keen Footwear thought it was safe. A decade ago, long before the trade wars and the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the American company anticipated the need to limit its exposure to upheaval in the global economy. It began abandoning factories in China that had long made its products: rugged sandals and hiking boots. It set up plants in Southeast Asia and India and then another in the Dominican Republic. In June, the company opened its newest factory, in Kentucky, an investment in the proposition now emblazoned on its shoe boxes: 'American Built.' But that branding and the company's investment in the United States coincide with the reality that Keen, like most modern businesses, depends on access to a global supply chain for parts and raw materials. The company strives to find local suppliers to limit its vulnerability to faraway trouble, but it still moves many components around the globe to assemble its products. That movement is now subject to an ever-changing assortment of American tariffs. Keen's strategy to limit its dependence on any single part of the world has not been enough to spare the company from the turbulence caused by President Trump's trade war. On a recent morning at its factory just outside Louisville, Ky., the company's chief operating officer, Hari Perumal, was wrestling with Mr. Trump's latest salvo: the raising of tariffs on imports from India to 50 percent. Mr. Perumal was also struggling to understand the details of a recently announced American trade deal with Vietnam, where Keen has a factory. And he was mulling plans to transfer the making of boot uppers from Keen's factory in Thailand, where the tariff was 20 percent, to the Dominican Republic, where the tariff was 10 percent. Mr. Perumal expressed confidence that Keen would manage all this without upheaval. He took comfort in having prioritized backup plans and flexibility, in contrast to the typical approach in retail — leaning heavily on one country like China to produce at the lowest cost. Still, the exercise of having to calculate, and then recalculate, the effect of tariffs in response to Mr. Trump's shifts was an irritating distraction. 'It changes by the day,' Mr. Perumal said. 'Certainly, this kind of disruption is not good for business.' Keen has pledged not to raise its prices this year. But the rest of the industry is already showing signs of inflation, said Matt Priest, the chief executive of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, a trade association. 'President Trump's sweeping new tariffs are a tax on every American family buying shoes during the height of back-to-school season,' he said in a statement. 'These tariffs only add to the pressure at the checkout counter.' Mr. Perumal, 58, grew up in southern India, and he now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has spent his career navigating the fluctuations of global manufacturing. He first visited footwear factories in China in 1996. When he joined Keen in 2009, the company still relied heavily on Chinese factories. But as wages there rose, he began pursuing alternative places to make products. He was intent on shrinking the distance between Keen's factories and its customers in the United States, the source of more than half of the company's sales. For several years, Keen operated a factory in León, Mexico. As the pandemic spread, the local authorities halted production, prompting Keen to move the factory to the Dominican Republic. The proximity to the American market allowed Keen to double production even as the chaos of the pandemic prevented many other businesses from getting their products to customers. But even though Keen was seasoned in adapting to crisis, it could not plan for the constant changes in trade policy delivered by the Trump administration. Mr. Perumal had run a simulation that assumed the India tariffs would be 25 percent. That was manageable because he figured Keen's suppliers in India would absorb some of the higher costs. Then Mr. Trump doubled the tariffs as punishment for India's continued buying of crude oil from Russia. 'Now, that's out the door,' Mr. Perumal said. 'They can't compensate for that level of tariff.' For many global businesses, the latest American tariffs on India are especially unwelcome. India had beckoned as a promising alternative to China. Walmart has in recent years shifted substantial portions of its production to India from plants in China. In response to pressure from Mr. Trump to forsake China, Apple has invested heavily in shifting the production of its iPhones to India. Mr. Perumal's India operations already send much of their wares to Britain. Now he might also divert some of the production in India to Japan, where Keen operates stores. The few products made in India for the American market could be shifted to factories in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. He was also a little less worried because of his new Kentucky factory. That plant is using machinery transferred from a facility that Keen had operated in Portland, Ore., where the company has its headquarters. Difficulty hiring workers there prompted Keen to move to Kentucky. Louisville was already the site of its national distribution center. United Parcel Service operates an air cargo hub in the city. In placing the new factory next door to the distribution center, Keen has reduced its carbon emissions, a key element for a brand whose marketing emphasizes its commitment to protecting the environment. The Kentucky plant is at the core of Keen's efforts to increase its American production from 5 percent of its global sales to 9 percent within the next 18 months. Its next milestone is 15 percent by 2030. The factory makes boots that construction workers use. Production is heavily automated, with robotic arms placing and lifting boots onto a giant carousel, where other robots inject a gooey infusion of polyurethane that joins the upper to the sole. Every 22 seconds, a new pair are completed. Mr. Perumal views the new plant as a useful way to serve a market that increasingly places a premium on domestic production. But he depicts domestic production as a niche, while dismissing the concept that footwear manufacturing will return en masse to American shores. 'What we are doing here, manufacturing in the United States, is not the solution to solve all these issues,' he said. Tariffs will not force production home, Mr. Perumal said, because of differences in the price of making products in the United States versus Asia. 'Where are we going to get the people?' he asked. 'Are we going to find Americans willing to work for factory wages?' He pointed at towering stacks of cardboard waiting to be folded into red-white-and-blue shoe boxes promoting the provenance of Keen's utility boots. The boxes, which will hold boots made in Louisville, were shipped in from Cambodia. Even after the tariffs, the price was one-third what Keen would have to pay for similar packaging made in the United States. Leather uppers made at Keen's factory in Thailand sat in boxes waiting to be fed into the assembly line. Keen has identified a good source of leather in Mississippi. But after the cost of bringing in other needed items — shoelaces, thread, eyelets and waterproof lining, many of them made in Asia — is factored in, making uppers in the United States would be five to six times as expensive as making them overseas, Mr. Perumal said. These sorts of details drive his interest in shifting production from Asia to the Dominican Republic, which is part of a regional trade agreement with the United States and Central American countries. Under its terms, Keen can ship components to the Dominican Republic from Asia, turn them into uppers and then export them to the United States free of duty. That seems like a sensible adaptation, yet Mr. Perumal is under no illusions that Keen is immune to the changing variables that Mr. Trump has inserted into the global economy. 'We can only control the controllables,' he said, which appear to be a shrinking category.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vingroup Inaugurates and Breaks Ground on Six Major Projects Nationwide to Celebrate Vietnam's 80th National Day
HANOI, VIETNAM / / August 19, 2025 / To mark the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Vingroup inaugurated and broke ground on six major projects across the country. The highlight was the inauguration ceremony of the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Dong Anh, Hanoi, alongside five other landmark projects in the fields of socio-economic infrastructure, transportation, industry, urban development, and tourism in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ha Tinh, Tay Ninh, and Dong Nai. The General Secretary, the Prime Minister, and other delegates cut the ribbon to inaugurate the National Exhibition and Convention Center - a key national project. These events form part of the official national program to inaugurate and commence construction of projects celebrating the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025). The inauguration of the National Exhibition and Convention Center at Tu Lien Bridge Road, Dong Anh, Hanoi, served as the central venue of the program, with the attendance of General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, members and former members of the Politburo, members of the Party Central Committee, as well as current and former leaders of the Party, the State, and heads of central and local ministries and agencies. Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the National Exhibition and Convention Center, completed in just under 10 months, is poised to become a space that will foster the development of Vietnam's cultural and entertainment industries. The Prime Minister praised the determination of enterprises, particularly private ones, in building and developing national infrastructure with the spirit: "What we say, we do. What we commit, we deliver. Once we act and commit, there must be tangible results. And today, we have proved this." Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also affirmed that these projects demonstrate Vietnam's determination to achieve self-reliance and master technology in socio-economic infrastructure development, creating projects in Vietnam, for Vietnam, and by the Vietnamese people. "I hope that we will see more iconic projects of Vietnam, admired and recognized by friends across the region and around the world, " the Prime Minister said. The National Exhibition and Convention Center spans more than 900,000 m², positioned to become the largest exhibition complex in Southeast Asia and one of the Top 10 largest in the world. At the core of the complex is the iconic Kim Quy Exhibition Hall, featuring a colossal 24,000-ton steel dome, 56 meters high, inspired by the legendary Golden Turtle God (Kim Quy) whose myth is closely linked with the heritage site of Co Loa. Covering approximately 130,000 m², the Kim Quy Hall comprises nine major exhibition halls and one central grand hall, offering an ideal space for specialized exhibitions and large-scale events, with versatile layouts optimized for diverse displays. The exhibition ecosystem also includes a permanent exhibition center (Block A), four outdoor exhibition areas (East - West - South - North), and VinPalace Co Loa, the largest international convention center in Vietnam, covering 16,800 m² with 12 banquet and conference halls that can host events from several hundred to over 5,000 guests. Complementary facilities include landscaped parks and lakes, a food court of over 3,000 m², and parking areas spanning more than 18 hectares, accommodating over 10,000 vehicles. After an accelerated construction period of just 10 months, the National Exhibition and Convention Center has officially been inaugurated and is ready to host the national milestone event celebrating the 80th National Independence Day: the exhibition "80 Years of Independence - Freedom - Happiness." The second project site was the inauguration of the May Chai Bridge (Royal Bridge) and its approach roads, part of the Vinhomes Royal Island project in Hai Phong. Spanning nearly 2.2 km in length and 21 meters in width with four lanes, the bridge connects Vu Yen Island with Le Thanh Tong Street, reducing travel time to the city center to under five minutes. With its twin arch towers symbolizing both soaring wings and a welcoming "World Gateway Bridge," the Royal Bridge is set to become a new landmark of Hai Phong, embodying openness to investment and economic opportunities. The third project site was the groundbreaking of an 18-hole international-standard golf course in Quang Hanh, Quang Ninh, covering 100 hectares. Nestled among natural forests with views of both mountains and Ha Long Bay, the course was designed under the philosophy of environmental preservation by renowned contemporary golf course designer Doug Carrick. Once operational, it will elevate Quang Ninh's reputation in tourism and sports. The fourth project site marked the start of construction on the Vinhomes Industrial Park in Vung Ang, Ha Tinh. Located on lots CN4 and CN5 of the Vung Ang Economic Zone, the project spans nearly 965 hectares, making it one of the largest in the region, with modern, synchronized infrastructure including factories, ports, and logistics facilities. The project is set to attract leading national and regional enterprises in industry, high technology, logistics, and exports-driving local economic growth and enabling Vietnamese enterprises to expand globally. The fifth project site was the groundbreaking of the Phuoc Vinh Tay New Urban Area in Tay Ninh, covering 1,089.6 hectares. Developed as an eco-smart sustainable city, it will feature a complete ecosystem of education, healthcare, commerce, and services, positioning it as one of the province's most significant future urban developments. The sixth project site was the commencement of Component Project 1: Construction of the Western North-South Expressway, Gia Nghia (Dak Nong) - Chon Thanh (Binh Phuoc) section, passing through Dong Nai province. The expressway spans 124.13 km (23.1 km in Dak Nong, 101.03 km in Binh Phuoc), designed for a full six-lane scale. Strategically, it will connect the Central Highlands with the Southeast region, particularly Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc with Ho Chi Minh City, unlocking regional economic potential and creating new growth momentum. By simultaneously inaugurating and breaking ground on national-scale infrastructure projects across six provinces and cities, Vingroup reaffirms its pioneering role in strengthening Vietnam's internal capabilities. These projects reflect the spirit of innovation and progress in the nation's 80-year journey of independence, renewal, and global integration. SOURCE: Vingroup View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
11 hours ago
- New York Times
Vietnamese Are Helping Cuba With 38-Cent Donations. A Lot of Them.
Dinh Hien Mo was skimming social media on Sunday at her home in Central Vietnam when she stumbled on a post calling for aid to Cuba, where hunger has been spreading as inflation soars. She watched videos and read about how Cuba supported Vietnam during the wars of the 1960s and 70s, building hospitals and sending doctors, sugar and cattle. Inspired, she donated 500,000 Vietnamese dong, about $19, from the modest income she earns at her family's grocery store. 'I feel bad that people in Cuba are suffering from economic hardship,' she said. 'They're isolated by sanctions and their economy is cut off from the world — Vietnam used to be like that, but we opened up, and life here is much better.' Her donation joined a chain-reaction of generosity. A new crowdfunding campaign for Cuba led by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society has raised more than $13 million in the first week — far more than organizers had expected for the entire two-month effort. And with that unexpected surge has come a complex reckoning. For many in Cuba and Vietnam, the charitable transfers bring up memories of past solidarity, when both nations shared dreams of Communist independence won through revolution. But there's also the awkward realization that their roles have reversed because of choices made as the Cold War ended. Vietnam, when faced with shortages and starvation, pivoted quickly toward free enterprise in the mid-80s, leading to restored relations with the United States in 1995, and a manufacturing and agricultural boom that has nearly erased extreme poverty. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
