RoK tops foreign investors in HCM City for 2019 so far
The Republic of Korea (RoK) was the biggest investor in Ho Chi Minh City in the first two months of 2019, engulfing 43.2 percent of the city’s total foreign direct investment (FDI) for the period.
Robots are tested at a laboratory in the Saigon Hi-tech Park of HCM City (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The Republic of Korea(RoK) was the biggest investor in Ho Chi Minh City in the first two months of2019, engulfing 43.2 percent of the city’s total foreign direct investment(FDI) for the period.
The southern largest economic hub of Vietnamattracted 1.02 billion USD of FDI capital in the year’s initial two months,equivalent to 94.7 percent of the figure for last year’s same period, accordingto the municipal Department of Planning and Investment.
In the list of investors, the RoK was followedby Singapore (15.8 percent), Japan (15 percent), the UK (7.3 percent), and theUS (4.8 percent).
Around 96.69 million USD of the capital waschanneled into 165 new projects, while another 31 million USD was added to 31existing ones.
Among the new projects, those with science andtech-related activities attracted the most capital (51 percent), followed bywholesale and retail, along with motorised vehicle repair (34.6 percent);processing and manufacturing (5.7 percent); accommodation and food services(3.4 percent); and information and communications (2.2 percent).
In the last two months, HCM City also licensed554 cases in which foreign investors contributed capital to or purchased sharesof domestic businesses with total registered capital of over 894 million USD.
Meanwhile, more than 136.43 trillion VND (5.86billion USD) of new and additional capital was registered by domesticinvestors, including over 94.26 trillion VND of some 4,400 newly establishedcompanies.
Narly 14,180 firms registered to add a total of 42.17trillion VND to their existing capital, the Department of Planning andInvestment said.–VNA
Preferential policies should be applied selectively, targeting FDI businesses with effective operation rather than the scale of investment, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said at a working session with the Ministry of Finance in Hanoi on February 28.
Hong Kong (China) topped the list of 66 countries and territories investing in Vietnam in January-February with a total investment of 4.3 billion USD, making up 51 percent of the new FDI inflow into the country.
Authorities of the southern province of Dong Nai have held a meeting with foreign invested businesses to help address difficulties facing their operations.
The central city of Da Nang aims to accelerate economic growth from 7.68 percent to 12 percent, while more drastic measures and administrative reforms are needed to turn the city into an as a destination to investment and tourism.
Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreign investors largely due to the country's policies encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI), its political stability and strong economic growth, according to the latest report of JLL real estate services firm.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
The analysis from an investment perspective shows that the economy’s growth has been heavily capital‑driven, yet efficiency remains low as reflected by Vietnam’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) being significantly higher than global and regional averages. This underscores the imperative to enhance capital‑use efficiency.
Robots are tested at a laboratory in the Saigon Hi-tech Park of HCM City (Photo: VNA) 
