HCM CITY GOES BIG: POST-MERGER POWERHOUSE TARGETS NEXT WAVE OF HIGH-TECH FDI
HCM City is ramping up efforts to attract a new wave of high-quality foreign investment as it targets US$10.44 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) this year, following a major administrative merger with Bình Dương and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provinces. The expanded 'Greater HCM City' now encompassing 64 export processing and industrial zones (EPZs and IPs) across 45,000 hectares of industrial land and is positioning itself as a regional innovation and high-tech manufacturing hub, city leaders say.
PUBLIC INVESTMENT DISBURSEMENT REACHES $17.6 BILLION IN NINE MONTHS
Under Official Dispatch No. 194/CD-TTg, issued on October 10, the directive calls for stronger state management of investment activities and measures to foster a more favourable business environment. The move aims to fully disburse assigned capital, sustain growth of over 8 per cent this year, and lay the groundwork for rapid progress in the 2026–2030 period, particularly in digital, green, and circular economy development.
VIETNAM TARGETS PER-CAPITA GDP OF US$8,500 BY 2030
At the first Congress of the Government’s Party Committee for the 2025-2030 tenure that opened today, October 13, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh said Vietnam aims to become a modern industrialized nation with upper-middle income by the end of the decade. The country also targets being among the 30 largest economies in the world and the third largest in ASEAN.
HUNG YEN’S ECONOMY EXPANDS AS INVESTMENT AND INDUSTRY DRIVE 2025 GROWTH
Hung Yen posted robust economic gains in the first nine months of 2025, driven by industrial growth, record budget revenue, and a sharp rise in public and private investment. Along with this, the province's regional GDP in the first nine months of 2025 reached approximately $4.59 billion, marking on-year growth of 8.01 per cent. This places the province 16th out of 34 localities nationally in terms of growth.
VIETNAM’S 2025 TRADE FORECAST AT US$900 BILLION
Vietnam’s 2025 trade could amount to an all-time high of US$900 billion if current trade growth is maintained, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). At a quarterly press briefing on October 8, Bui Huy Son, director general of the ministry’s Planning and Finance Department, said the total value of imports and exports in the first nine months rose 17.3% year-on-year to US$680.6 billion.
LIVESTOCK EXPORTS HIT $447.5 MILLION IN NINE MONTHS
Việt Nam’s livestock exports reached an estimated US$447.5 million in the first nine months of 2025, up 18.6 per cent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. In particular, milk and dairy products brought home $89 million, down 4.9 per cent, while meat, edible offal and by-products totalled $151 million, rising 27.4 per cent.
PEPPER EXPORTS EXCEED US$1.26 BILLION IN JAN-SEPT
Vietnam’s pepper exports reached over US$1.26 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up 27.6% in value despite a 6.9% drop in volume year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA). In September alone, the country exported 20,487 tons of pepper worth US$136.3 million, down 4.6% in volume and 2.5% in value compared to August.
VIETNAM RAISES 2030 GDP PER CAPITA TARGET TO US$8,500
The Government has approved adjustments to the national master plan for 2021-2030, lifting the GDP per capita target for 2030 from US$7,500 to US$8,500 under Resolution No. 306/NQ-CP. The revised plan envisions Vietnam becoming an upper-middle-income country with a modern industrial base by 2030. It aims for average annual GDP growth of over 8% during 2021-2030, compared to 7% in the previous plan.
