Starting with the silent move of global smartphone titan Apple, companies have been shifting their facilities to Vietnam, following the call for more lucrative investment opportunities.

Japanese appliance-maker Panasonic on May 21 said that next year it will move its Thai-based production of refrigerators and washing machines to Vietnam, laying off some 800 workers.

Vietnamese air conditioner manufacturers are increasingly using sophisticated technologies as they jostle for market share in a competitive market.

There remain problems concerning human resources and Vietnamese businesses should focus on what Japanese experts have addressed.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Panasonic has opene its first electrical equipment factory in Vietnam after 20 years importing products into Vietnam.

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 Japan's Panasonic and its subsidiary Sanyo have each pleaded guilty to price-fixing involving auto parts and battery cells, agreeing to pay $56.5 million in fines, according to the US Justice Department.