HCMC BUDGET REVENUE TOPS VND328 TRILLION
HCMC reported strong budget revenue growth in the first four months of 2026, with collections exceeding VND328 trillion, equivalent to 40.6% of the annual target and up nearly 19% year-on-year. The results reflected a positive recovery in business and production activities as well as investment inflows into the city. Domestic revenue continued to play the leading role, with estimated collections reaching VND251.9 trillion, up 23.1% year-on-year and accounting for 76.8% of total balanced budget revenue, according to the HCMC Statistics Office.
VIETNAM’S ONE-MILLION-HECTARE RICE PLAN REACHES JUST 3% OF 2026 TARGET
Vietnam’s plan to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice has reached just over 3% of its 2026 target, far below expectations. The program aims to roll out nearly 470,000 hectares this year. However, only 14,766 hectares have been implemented so far, including 11,430 hectares in the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop, according to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON OVER 36,000 SOCIAL HOUSING UNITS IN JAN-APR
Vietnam started work on 40 social housing projects with a combined 36,590 units in the first four months of 2026, the Ministry of Construction said, as authorities seek to boost affordable housing supply amid rising urban demand. The Government has set a target of completing more than 158,700 social homes this year under Resolution No. 07/NQ-CP, issued in January.
SEAFOOD EXPORT GROWTH CONTINUES
Vietnam’s seafood export revenue in 2026 could rise by around US$1 billion from the 2025 level of approximately US$11.3 billion if current growth is sustained and bottlenecks are addressed, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). From the beginning of 2026 to date, aquaculture has recorded favorable conditions, with seafood export value estimated at nearly US$4 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year.
VIETNAM TARGETS Q2 2026 COMPLETION OF FOREST CARBON CREDIT ISSUANCE
The timeline has been recently shared by Tran Quang Bao, director of the Forestry and Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, regarding progress in finalizing the legal framework for forest carbon absorption and storage services. The ministry is currently coordinating efforts to draft a decree governing these services, aimed at establishing a comprehensive legal corridor for localities and forest owners to implement in practice.
AGRO-FORESTRY-FISHERY EXPORTS PUT AT US$23.04 BILLION IN JAN-APR
Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports in the first four months of the year amounted to an estimated US$23.04 billion, up 5.4% year-on-year, with Asia accounting for 44.1% of the total, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. In April alone, export revenue was put at US$6.05 billion, down 3.8% from the previous month and 0.8% from a year earlier.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT RISES 32% IN FOUR MONTHS
Fresh foreign investment approvals in Vietnam in the year to April 27 had soared 32% against the same period in 2025 to US$18.24 billion, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance. Newly registered capital accounted for the largest share, totaling US$12.15 billion across 1,249 projects and continuing to dominate inflows.
VIETNAM’S ECONOMY CONTINUES TO PERFORM WELL IN JAN-APR
Vietnam’s economy in the first four months of 2026 showed solid gains in industrial production, consumption and investment, but structural bottlenecks in the business sector and pressures on the trade balance persisted. Industrial production remained a central pillar of growth, according to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.
