Business News

Credit in Vietnam has grown strongly this year, with total outstanding loans in the banking system surpassing VND19.4 quadrillion, up more than 4% from the end of 2025. Data recently released by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) showed that the current credit structure has shifted in line with the broader economy. The service sector accounts for the largest share of the outstanding loans, at around 70.5%, followed by industry and construction at 23.5%, and agriculture at about 6%.

Foreign investment into HCMC more than doubled in the first four months of 2026, while new business registrations surged, as Vietnam’s commercial hub accelerated reforms to achieve double-digit economic growth. Hoang Vu Thanh, director of HCMC’s Department of Finance, said at a meeting on May 8 that the city had attracted nearly US$3.3 billion in foreign investment since the start of the year, skyrocketing 127.1% year-on-year and equivalent to about 30.2% of its full-year target.

HCMC is aiming to collect VND1 quadrillion in budget revenue this year while accelerating administrative reforms, infrastructure investment, foreign direct investment inflows, and growth drivers from consumption, tourism, industry, and trade. The HCMC People’s Committee has issued a directive urging departments and local authorities to swiftly roll out key measures and urgent solutions aimed at supporting the city’s double digit economic growth target for 2026.

The Vietnam State Treasury raised a total of VND125.6 trillion worth of Government bonds (G-bonds) in the first four months of the year, fulfilling 41% of its second quarter issuance plan and 25% of its full-year target. The Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) said it had organized 20 G-bond auctions in April on behalf of the State Treasury, successfully mobilizing nearly VND45.5 trillion, skyrocketing 132% against the previous month.

HCMC reported strong budget revenue growth in the first four months of 2026, with collections exceeding VND328 trillion, equivalent to 40.6% of the annual target and up nearly 19% year-on-year. The results reflected a positive recovery in business and production activities as well as investment inflows into the city. Domestic revenue continued to play the leading role, with estimated collections reaching VND251.9 trillion, up 23.1% year-on-year and accounting for 76.8% of total balanced budget revenue, according to the HCMC Statistics Office.

Vietnam’s plan to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice has reached just over 3% of its 2026 target, far below expectations. The program aims to roll out nearly 470,000 hectares this year. However, only 14,766 hectares have been implemented so far, including 11,430 hectares in the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop, according to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Vietnam started work on 40 social housing projects with a combined 36,590 units in the first four months of 2026, the Ministry of Construction said, as authorities seek to boost affordable housing supply amid rising urban demand. The Government has set a target of completing more than 158,700 social homes this year under Resolution No. 07/NQ-CP, issued in January.

Vietnam’s seafood export revenue in 2026 could rise by around US$1 billion from the 2025 level of approximately US$11.3 billion if current growth is sustained and bottlenecks are addressed, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). From the beginning of 2026 to date, aquaculture has recorded favorable conditions, with seafood export value estimated at nearly US$4 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year.