On November 12, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Investment and Trade Promotion Center of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC), in coordination with Japan's Gunma Bank, organized the 2026 Japan Investment Promotion Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, connecting businesses from both countries to seek cooperation opportunities.
Fukai Akihiko, President and Representative Director of Gunma Bank, stated that approximately 60 enterprises from Gunma Prefecture are currently operating in Vietnam, many of which plan to expand production and business operations and seek new projects, with particular interest in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to ITPC Deputy Director Cao Thi Phi Van, following its merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City’s expanded space creates additional advantages for attracting Japanese enterprises. With a population of over 14 million and contributing roughly 23.5 percent of the national GDP, Ho Chi Minh City connects financial and commercial hubs with industrial parks and deep-water seaports, facilitating the organization of production, logistics, and distribution chains.
In the first 10 months of 2026, Ho Chi Minh City attracted US$19.1 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), exceeding its annual plan by 73.9 percent. The city currently has more than 22,036 valid FDI projects with a total registered capital of over US$157.4 billion.
To welcome new capital inflows, Ho Chi Minh City has prepared about 250 projects calling for investment for the 2026–2030 period across nine sector groups, prioritizing high technology, supporting industries, transportation, seaports, logistics, and the environment. These fields align well with the strengths of Japanese enterprises.
At the conference, enterprises from Ho Chi Minh City and Gunma Prefecture exchanged cooperation opportunities in manufacturing, supporting industries, automotive components, food processing, and services.
This activity aims to help promote Japanese investment into Vietnam, facilitate technology transfer, and enhance the capacity of domestic enterprises to participate in global supply chains.
