Vietnam’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.98% in February, marking the highest point since the same month in the previous year, driven primarily by a notable increase in food prices, which surged by 4.23% compared to January’s 2.31%. Core inflation rose to 2.96% from a 17-month low of 2.72% in January. Meanwhile, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of USD 1.1 bln in February, a decrease from the USD 2.81 bln surplus reported in the same month the previous year and the smallest surplus since January 2023.