Business News

Vietnam’s exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products surged nearly 30% year-on-year in January 2026, driven by strong growth across major commodity groups and key export markets, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Export turnover for the sector in January is estimated at nearly US$6.51 billion, up 29.5% from the same period last year, the ministry said at a regular press briefing on February 5.

Dong Nai Province has begun 2026 on a strong investment footing, attracting nearly US$550 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the early weeks of the year. On February 5, the provincial government presented investment certificates to three projects, including new and additional investments, during a conference with foreign-invested enterprises. The approvals highlight Dong Nai’s continued appeal to international investors.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) disbursement in Vietnam rose in January, while newly registered capital fell sharply, pointing to stable project implementation but slower investment expansion. Data from the Ministry of Finance showed that January FDI disbursement increased 11.26% year-on-year to US$1.68 billion, reflecting continued execution and expansion of existing foreign-invested projects.

Vietnam’s public investment disbursement in 2025 reached the highest level in the 2021–2025 period, according to the Ministry of Finance. For capital carried forward from prior years, disbursement in all of 2025 totaled VND49.5 trillion, equivalent to 74.4% of the plan of over VND66.6 trillion. For the 2025 plan, total disbursement as of January 31, 2026 amounted to VND858.6 trillion, or 94.8% of the plan assigned by the prime minister (VND905.5 trillion).

According to the National Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance), Vietnam’s GDP in 2025 increased by 8.02% compared with 2024. This was slightly below the 8.12% growth recorded in 2022, the highest level in the past 15 years, driven primarily by the services and industrial manufacturing sectors. With this outcome, the average GDP growth for the 2021-2025 period reached approximately 6.3% per year, surpassing the 6.2% achieved in the previous term.

Pursuing high economic growth is an urgent task in the coming period, but experts have warned that Việt Nam must manage policies carefully to avoid sacrificing macroeconomic stability for growth targets, particularly as inflation risks rise alongside continued credit expansion. In 2025, Việt Nam recorded GDP growth of 8.03 per cent while inflation was kept at 3.3 per cent.

Hà Nội’s agricultural and forestry exports were estimated to surpass US$2 billion in 2025, maintaining steady growth and reinforcing the capital city’s role in the national agricultural supply chain, according to the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Environment. Key agricultural and food products accounted for around US$1.4 billion of the total export value, representing the largest share of the sector’s turnover.

From corner convenience stores to sprawling malls, Việt Nam’s retail scene is racing ahead and global investors are lining up to cash in. The surge is most visible in HCM City and Hà Nội, where chain stores are multiplying fast, but the momentum now stretches nationwide as big names commit billions of dollars to a market they see as a long-term growth engine.