Business News

HCMC attracted nearly US$2.9 billion in foreign investment in the first quarter of 2026, up about 220% year-on-year, despite global economic uncertainties, according to the city’s Department of Finance. This result indicates foreign investors’ continued confidence in the investment and business environment. Among the notable FDI projects in the period, Singaporean investors were present across key sectors such as technology, media, manufacturing, and financial services.

According to Conclusion 18, recently signed by Party General Secretary To Lam, reforms of the state sector will continue, with a focus on aligning state-owned enterprise (SOE) governance with international standards, enhancing efficiency, and strengthening the leading role of SOEs in key sectors. Equitization and state capital divestment will be further accelerated, ensuring efficiency and preventing losses and wastefulness.

Some of projects include the Can Gio International Transshipment Port (US$4.9 billion), an AI data center (US$2.1 billion), and capital expansions for GS Metrocity Nha Be (US$2.2 billion). City authorities are now focusing on supporting investors to translate these registered commitments into reality. With the current momentum, total FDI for 2026 is projected to reach US$13 billion by year-end.

The HCMC government is committed to further refining its investment environment and accelerating administrative reforms to help businesses achieve double-digit growth. Speaking at the High-quality Vietnamese Goods 2026 program announcement event on March 31, Bui Minh Thanh, vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, said the city is focusing on supporting innovation, digital transformation, and green development to bolster the competitiveness of local businesses.

Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports reached an estimated US$16.69 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.9% from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The sector posted a trade surplus of US$4.78 billion, up 12% year-on-year. Exports in March were estimated at US$6.02 billion, rising 47.8% from February but slipping 1.5% year-on-year.

Selling prices in Vietnam’s manufacturing sector rose at the fastest pace in nearly 15 years in March, driven by a sharp increase in input costs linked to the U.S.-Israel war effort against Iran in the Middle East, according to S&P Global. The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 51.2 in March from 54.3 in February, indicating slower growth in operating conditions while remaining above the 50-point threshold for a ninth consecutive month.

Data released on April 1 by the Forestry and Forest Protection Department showed natural forests accounted for over 10 million hectares, while replanted forests covered more than 4.9 million hectares. About 13.92 million hectares met the criteria for calculating forest coverage, including 10.08 million hectares of natural forest and 3.85 million hectares of replanted forest.

More than 160,000 tons of Vietnamese rice were exported to Senegal in 2025 with total revenue of US$52.57 million, a 30-fold increase compared to 2024, according to the latest report by the Vietnam Trade Office in Algeria (covering Senegal). As a major West African importer, Senegal consumes an average of one million tons of rice annually, primarily low-cost 100% broken rice, with a per capita consumption of 117kg, among the highest in the region.