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| Vietnam shows strong FDI performance in the first 11 months of 2025__Photo: vtv.vn |
A series of large-scale foreign direct investment (FDI) projects were granted investment registration certificates in November, contributing to Vietnam’s strong FDI performance in the first 11 months of the year.
Notable examples include the AEON MALL Bien Hoa commercial center project in Dong Nai province with total investment of USD 261.1 million by Japan’s AEON Group; the Phu My 3 chemical production project in Ho Chi Minh City worth USD 203.6 million by Lee & Man Chemical Co. Ltd. (Hong Kong, China); and the STABOO Thanh Hoa OSB bamboo board manufacturing project valued at USD 150 million by Switzerland’s STABOO JSC.
These projects helped lift Vietnam’s total registered FDI in the 11 months to USD 33.69 billion, up 7.4 percent year on year. Disbursed FDI reached a record USD 23.6 billion, rising 8.9 percent over the same period. Commenting on this result, Russia’s Sputnik news agency highlighted that Vietnam has “won the FDI race”.
In its 11-month FDI report, the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance noted that the global investment environment continues to be affected by complex economic and geopolitical factors. These pressures are prompting global capital flows to prioritize markets with stable fundamentals and strong absorption capacity. Amid a trend of capital “contraction and restructuring”, the Asia–Pacific region remains an attractive destination thanks to sustained demand in electronics, semiconductors and technology, particularly in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
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| Viet Phat is about to launch the Aeon Mall Bien Hoa project worth over VND 6 trillion VND__Photo: vietnamfinance.vn |
According to the agency, Vietnam continues to be a reliable destination for investors thanks to its stable macroeconomic environment, consistent investment policies and improving capacity in electronics and component manufacturing.
However, as production relocation to Southeast Asia accelerates and competition for FDI intensifies, Vietnam faces increasing pressure from regional rivals such as India, Malaysia and Indonesia, which are offering bold tax incentives and developing specialized industrial parks. This reality requires Vietnam to shift its focus from attracting large volumes of capital to drawing high-quality investment, prioritizing core technologies, innovation, value chain linkages and higher localization rates.
This transition has already been identified as a strategic direction. Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang has repeatedly stressed that Vietnam must prioritize high-tech and innovation-driven projects if it aims to become a developed country by 2045.
Vietnam will prioritize high-tech, innovative, high value-added and environmentally friendly projects instead of pursuing quantity at all costs, he said.
The recent adoption of the amended Law on High Technology and the revised Law on Investment by the National Assembly is expected to provide a major institutional boost. These laws introduce important reforms, including reduced pre-licensing procedures, a stronger shift to post-inspection, simplified registration and notification mechanisms, a narrower list of conditional business lines, and stronger incentives for high technology, innovation and green growth.
FDI attraction in 2025, particularly in the first 11 months, has maintained a positive momentum, underscoring Vietnam’s sustained appeal amid global fragmentation. According to the Foreign Investment Agency, healthy registered and disbursed capital flows are reinforcing investor confidence and laying a foundation for further acceleration in late 2025 and into 2026.
At the Vietnam M&A Forum, Tamotsu Majima, Senior Director of RECOF Corporation, said that Vietnam’s solid growth, extensive network of new-generation free trade agreements and strategic partnerships have created confidence and significant opportunities for multinational corporations.
Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong recently stated that the Ministry of Finance is developing a scheme on foreign-invested economic development and a new-generation FDI attraction strategy. With more open, attractive and competitive policies, these initiatives are expected to help Vietnam achieve a substantive shift from attracting large capital volumes to securing high-quality FDI.- (VNA/VLLF)
