Vietnam's registered FDI tops $21 bln in H1, highest in 16 years

Registered foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam hit over $21.51 billion in the first half of the year, up 32.6% and a record high since 2009, while disbursed capital reached $11.72 billion, up 8.1%.

Although FDI capital flows are very positive, the country is slow to attract strategic investors with high-tech, large projects that are capable of leading the value chain and creating an ecosystem, the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) stated in a release on Friday.

At the FIA's calculations, registered capital comprises capital for newly-registered projects, additional capital for existing projects, and capital for stake acquisitions.

Of the total registered capital, nearly $9.3 billion (down 9.6% year-on-year) was newly-registered capital for 1,988 projects.

About $8.95 billion, a 2.2-fold increase compared to the same period last year, was additional capital for 826 existing projects. Capital contributions/stake acquisitions reached $3.28 billion, up 73.6%.

The processing and manufacturing sector led the pack in terms of registered capital with nearly $12 billion, making up 55.6% of the country's total.

Among the largest manufacturing projects licensed in the period is a $1 billion polyester fabric recycling complex project of Sweden’s leading textile manufacturer Syre in Nhon Hoi Economic Zone, Binh Dinh province, now Gia Lai province after the merger of Binh Dinh and Gia Lai.

The project, designed to have a capacity of up to 250,000 tons per year, is expected to become operational by the end of 2028.

The real estate sector ranked second with nearly $5.17 billion, accounting for 24% of the total registered capital, more than double the same period last year.

Notably, the Yen So Park project of Malaysia-backed Gamuda Land Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Hanoi saw an investment capital hike of $1.12 billion.

"Registered FDI capital in the first six months increased thanks to a sharp rise in both capital expansion of existing projects and capital contribution/share purchase," said the FIA.

Explaining the 9.6% decline in newly registered FDI capital, the FIA said that there were only 15 newly-registered projects having investment capital of over 100 million in the period. The total capital of these 15 projects is $3.2 billion, accounting for 15.1% of the total newly-registered capital.

Meanwhile, in the same period of 2024, there were 18 projects of such an investment scale, with total capital of $5.12 billion or 32% of the total.

Singapore led with $4.6 billion in registered capital (making up 21.4% and down 24.8% year-on-year), followed by South Korea with $3 billion (nearly 14.3% and an over two-fold increase). Next were mainland China, Japan, and Malaysia, with respective $2.55 billion, $2.15 billion, and $1.59 billion.

Among localities, Hanoi took the lead with total registered capital of nearly $3.66 billion, accounting for 17%, over 2.8 times higher than the same period. Bac Ninh ranked second (nearly $3.15 billion, 14.6% of the total, and 7.1% higher than the same period last year).

Ho Chi Minh City ranked third (over $2.7 billion, 12.6% of the total, and up 2.2 times), followed by Dong Nai, Ha Nam (now Ninh Binh province after the merger of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh), and Ba Ria-Vung Tau (now HCMC after the merger of HCMC, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Duong).