VIETNAM

Ford Applies for Vietnam Assembly Plant License: The Dearborn, Mich.-based auto maker said it became the first U.S. company to seek such a license in the Southeast Asian nation after signing a joint venture deal with a local partner. “Song Cong Diesel and Ford anticipate government approval in April and will immediately proceed with plans to form a joint venture company to produce Ford cars and trucks in 1997,” Ford Motor Co. said in a statement. It said the partners have completed a joint feasibility study for the plant on a site 35 miles east of the capital of Hanoi on the main road to the port of Haiphong. Ford has declined to disclose how much it plans to invest in the venture, in which it is majority partner.