Business News

With 2026 themed “Improving governance quality, unlocking institutions, making infrastructure breakthroughs and enhancing public service delivery,” HCMC has developed three economic growth scenarios. Under the baseline scenario, the city targets growth of 8.5–9%, with total social investment equivalent to 24% of GRDP. A more ambitious scenario aims for 9.5% growth and investment of 25.8% of GRDP.

Total investments in HCMC reached an estimated VND684.88 trillion last year, up 11.9% against 2024, according to the city’s Statistics Office. The increase came as Vietnam’s economic recovery gained traction, with infrastructure spending continuing to act as a key driver for capital inflows into industry, services and real estate.

Quang Ninh posted gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth of 11.89%, while Haiphong gained growth of 11.81%. Both exceeded the national average as six localities reported double-digit expansion. Vietnam’s gross domestic product rose 8.02% in 2025 from a year earlier. At the local level, GRDP growth ranged from 5.84% to 11.89%, showing wide divergence across regions.

Vietnam’s total import-export turnover reached a record high of more than US$920 billion last year, up 16.9% year-on-year, lifting the country into the world’s top 15 trading economies, Nguyen Anh Son, director general of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said. The achievement highlighted the crucial role of external trade in driving economic growth and underscored Vietnam’s deepening integration into global value chains, Son said in an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper.

According to Vietnam Customs, Vietnam imported goods worth US$167.5 billion from China in the first 11 months of 2025, up 28.1% year-on-year, equivalent to an increase of US$36.79 billion. The agency estimated that full-year imports from China would exceed US$182.5 billion, rising by nearly US$39 billion from 2024. China remained Vietnam’s largest source of imports by a wide margin, far outpacing other suppliers.

Exports began to recover from June 2025 as durian shipments resumed. Growth accelerated between August and October during the peak harvest season in the Central Highlands, helping the sector regain momentum. Alongside durian, exports of bananas, mangoes and jackfruit posted steady gains, while pomelo and coconut emerged as new growth drivers.

Vietnam’s retail market is estimated to have reached US$269 billion in 2025, up 9–10% year-on-year, reflecting a clear recovery in domestic consumption and continued rapid growth in e-commerce, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The estimate was released in the Vietnam Domestic Market Report 2025 by the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development, which reviews market performance and outlines prospects for the 2025–2030 period.

HCMC’s tourism sector generated around VND279 trillion in revenue in 2025, continuing strong growth and strengthening the city’s position as Vietnam’s top tourism hub. The figures were released during the annual review conference held by the HCMC Department of Tourism on December 30. The event also outlined key priorities for 2026, local media reported.