HCMC CREDIT UP 1.5% IN Q1
Outstanding loans in the city reached an estimated VND5.28 quadrillion, up 0.77% from the previous month and 16.25% year-on-year, data from the State Bank of Vietnam’s Regional Branch 2 showed. Vietnam dong loans accounted for 96.1% of total credit and rose 1.46% from the end of 2025. Medium- and long-term lending made up 55% of total outstanding loans and increased 3.22%.
VIETNAM WANTS TO ACCELERATE PRIVATE-SECTOR GROWTH
According to Conclusion 18, recently signed by Party General Secretary To Lam, reforms of the state sector will continue, with a focus on aligning state-owned enterprise (SOE) governance with international standards, enhancing efficiency, and strengthening the leading role of SOEs in key sectors. Equitization and state capital divestment will be further accelerated, ensuring efficiency and preventing losses and wastefulness.
HOANH MO BORDER TRADE SURGES 61% IN Q1
According to the Hoanh Mo Border Gate Customs, 1,088 customs declarations were processed between January 1 and March 29, up 76.34% from the same period last year. In the year to the end of the first quarter, 82 businesses had carried out customs procedures at the border gate, including 46 newly registered businesses.
HCMC EXPECTS US$8.9 BILLION FDI IN Q2
Some of projects include the Can Gio International Transshipment Port (US$4.9 billion), an AI data center (US$2.1 billion), and capital expansions for GS Metrocity Nha Be (US$2.2 billion). City authorities are now focusing on supporting investors to translate these registered commitments into reality. With the current momentum, total FDI for 2026 is projected to reach US$13 billion by year-end.
VIETNAM EXPANDS INLAND CONTAINER DEPOT NETWORK TO 19
The two newly added ICDs are Cai Mep in HCMC and Tan Cang-Moc Bai (phase one) in Tay Ninh Province. Cai Mep ICD, located in Cai Mep Industrial Park in Tan Phuoc Ward, HCMC and developed by Cai Mep International Logistics JSC, covers 9.15 hectares and has an annual handling capacity of about 133,000 TEUs, according to the Government news site (baochinhphu.vn).
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HCMC SCALES UP SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES
The HCMC government is committed to further refining its investment environment and accelerating administrative reforms to help businesses achieve double-digit growth. Speaking at the High-quality Vietnamese Goods 2026 program announcement event on March 31, Bui Minh Thanh, vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, said the city is focusing on supporting innovation, digital transformation, and green development to bolster the competitiveness of local businesses.
AGRO-FORESTRY-FISHERY EXPORTS EXPAND 5.9% IN Q1
Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports reached an estimated US$16.69 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.9% from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The sector posted a trade surplus of US$4.78 billion, up 12% year-on-year. Exports in March were estimated at US$6.02 billion, rising 47.8% from February but slipping 1.5% year-on-year.
