FOREIGN INVESTORS SEEKING A SYNCHRONISED MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM
Instead of focusing only on land costs and incentives as usual, foreign investors are seeking a synchronised manufacturing ecosystem, from stable power supply and logistics to shared infrastructure and the convenience of completing residence procedures for experts to serve their long-term investment in the country.
LOCALITIES REPORT BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS IN FDI IN FIRST NINE MONTHS
In Ho Chi Minh City, total registered capital reached $17.2 billion in the first nine months, up 4.2 times from the same period last year. The figure included more than $9.35 billion in newly registered capital and over $4.9 billion in additional capital for existing projects. Foreign investors also registered more than $2.9 billion through capital contributions and share purchases.
HCM CITY ADDRESSES MANUFACTURING, LAND HURDLES FOR Q4 GROWTH PUSH
HCM City is adjusting growth scenarios for lagging sectors and removing key bottlenecks in manufacturing and industrial land pricing to achieve a 13.23 per cent expansion in the fourth quarter of 2026. This sharp fourth-quarter acceleration is required to secure the city's full-year double-digit targets, following a 9.06 per cent GRDP growth recorded in the first nine months.
SME REVENUE THRESHOLD PROPOSED TO BE RAISED TO $15.2 MILLION
The government has proposed raising the annual revenue threshold for classifying small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to VNĐ400 billion (US$15.2 million), from currently VNĐ300 billion, as part of a draft law on the development of SMEs. Minister of Finance Ngô Văn Tuấn presented the draft law, which is intended to replace the Law on Supporting SMEs 2017, to the National Assembly at a meeting late last week.
MOF'S FIRMS REPORT STRONG GROWTH IN NINE-MONTH
State-owned groups and corporations represented by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) recorded combined revenue of more than VNĐ2 quadrillion (US$79.5 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, up 28.7 per cent year-on-year, while consolidated profit before tax reached nearly VNĐ160 trillion, equivalent to 140.3 per cent of the full-year target.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EXPORTS POISED TO HIT $10 BILLION IN 2026
Fruit and vegetable exports are on track to reach nearly US$10 billion in 2026, after rising 19.9 per cent year on year to nearly US$7.4 billion in the first nine months, driven by strong seasonal demand and abundant tropical fruit supplies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the growth reflected stronger international demand for fresh produce and processed agricultural products.
MOBILE PHONE EXPORTS RISE 20% TO $51.8 BILLION IN FIRST NINE MONTHS
Exports of mobile phones and components rose 20 per cent year-on-year to nearly US$51.8 billion in the first nine months of 2026, with China, the US and Republic of Korea accounting for more than half of the total. Shipments to the three markets reached a combined $26.18 billion, or 50.6 per cent of total exports of the product group during the period, according to data from the Vietnam Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance.
HCM CITY SHIFTS TOWARDS PRODUCTIVITY-DRIVEN GROWTH MODEL
After 40 years of Đổi mới (Renewal), HCM City is entering a new phase of development, seeking to bring together capital, technology, people, infrastructure, and markets to raise productivity and strengthen competitiveness. Before the national Đổi mới reforms were launched in 1986, the centrally planned economy left businesses with limited autonomy. Between 1976 and 1985, the city experimented with a series of “fence-breaking” initiatives, including wage-price compensation, the three-part plan, and the Directors’ Club.
