Vietnam posted a trade surplus of nearly USD 1.9 billion in the first four months of the year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency.
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| Vietnam posted a trade surplus of nearly USD 1.9 billion in the first four months of the year__Photo: VNA |
The foreign-invested sector enjoyed USD 14.4 billion in trade surplus while domestic firms reported a trade deficit of USD 12.5 billion.
In the first four months to April 20, foreign investors pumped USD 12.25 billion in Vietnam, equal to 99.3 percent of the amount recorded in the same period last year.
Of the amount, nearly USD 8.5 billion was poured into 451 new projects, up 24.7 percent in value and down 54.2 percent in project numbers year-on-year.
Meanwhile, more than USD 2.7 billion was added to 263 existing projects, down 10.6 percent and 21.5 percent, respectively.
The remaining investment capital, over USD 1 billion, was used for capital contribution and share purchases in a total 1,151 transactions.
Foreign investors landed investment in 17 sectors, with processing and manufacturing absorbing the largest amount of capital (USD 5.2 billion), followed by power generation and distribution (USD 5.1 billion), real estate (USD 778 million), and whole sale and retail sale (USD 464 million).
Among 67 countries and territories having investment in Vietnam in the period, Singapore took lead with USD 4.8 billion, Japan came second with more than USD 2.5 billion, and the RoK was the third largest investor with USD 1.5 billion.
Localities that attracted the most FDI were Long An (USD 3.3 billion), Can Tho (over USD 1.3 billion), and Ho Chi Minh City (USD 1.1 billion).
Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that the ministry will work to complete mechanisms with a view to improving business climate for foreign investors, and set up preferential mechanisms to attract investment into the fields of high technologies and source technologies.- (VNA/VLLF)
