Under Resolution 10-NQ/TW, issued by the Politburo on June 8 regarding the development of foreign-invested economies, Vietnam’s new direction in the coming years is to attract high-tech foreign direct investment (FDI). This strategy focuses on key sectors including electronics, semiconductor chips, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, the internet of things (IoT), biotechnology, advanced medicine, and modern logistics. A central goal of this policy is to increase the localization rate of FDI supply chains, setting a clear requirement for enhancing the quality of capital inflows.
Strong registrations and high disbursement
In the opening months of 2026, numerous localities across the country have reported positive developments in FDI attraction. Several provinces and cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Phu Tho, and Thai Nguyen, have actively issued investment registration certificates, approved investment policy decisions, and signed memoranda of understanding with a range of foreign investors.
According to a report from the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance, FDI capital continued to see positive growth during the first five months of 2026. As of May 31, the total registered FDI capital in Vietnam reached nearly US$25 billion, an increase of nearly 35 percent compared to the same period last year. Notably, new project registrations stood out; for instance, in the past five months, Vietnam attracted over 1,570 new FDI projects with a total capital of nearly $15 billion.
The processing and manufacturing sector continued to be the most effective at attracting foreign capital, accounting for 70.4 percent of total registered capital. Furthermore, capital contributions and share purchases by foreign investors rose sharply by 46.7 percent, reaching nearly $4.2 billion. Notably, realized FDI disbursement reached an estimated $9.75 billion, an increase of 9.6 percent over the same period, marking the highest level for this timeframe in the past five years.
Ho Chi Minh City continues to be one of the top performers in attracting FDI. Director Hoang Vu Thanh of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance said that as of June 1, the total value of registered foreign investment in the city reached over $6.6 billion, equivalent to 60 percent of the 2026 target. With four projects currently under active monitoring and processing, Ho Chi Minh City could attract an additional $10.4 billion, bringing total FDI for 2026 to approximately $17 billion or 154 percent of the annual plan.
These projects include the AI Data Center at Tan Phu Trung Industrial Park ($2.1 billion), the smart complex in functional area 2a of Thu Thiem New Urban Area (an increase of $1.2 billion), Nha Be Metrocity GS (an increase of $2.2 billion) and the Can Gio International Transshipment Port ($4.9 billion).
Ho Chi Minh City’s FDI push spurs banking innovation amid policy shifts
In the draft Law on Special Urban Areas currently under development, Ho Chi Minh City has proposed new mechanisms to enhance its appeal to FDI. For example, the commitment to reserve land prices for two years represents a significant move by the city government to support businesses. This is particularly important for long-term FDI projects, as it provides the high cost-stability required for large-scale investments.
Addressing this, leadership from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance indicated they will actively accelerate progress to ensure FDI projects successfully integrate into the local economic flow.
From a financial perspective, Truong Hoang Cong Duy, Sales Director at Yuanta Securities Vietnam, observed that the shift toward high-tech sectors is driving increased demand for specialized financial solutions, creating new growth potential for the banking industry.
According to him, while the industrial real estate sector was historically the primary beneficiary of FDI, these companies now require a wide range of services from the early stages of investment. These needs include credit facilities, capital transfers from parent companies, letters of credit for equipment imports, payments to contractors, foreign exchange transactions, guarantees, and cash flow management. Consequently, banks have begun shifting toward building comprehensive financial service packages specifically for FDI enterprises.
Specifically, MB Bank has established an FDI Customer Division and opened offices in Singapore, South Korea, and China. BIDV operates a major ecosystem, including a new FDI branch in Ho Chi Minh City, offering international-standard financial solutions. Agribank has also launched preferential credit packages totaling VND5 trillion and $100 million. This specialization allows the banking sector to more effectively support foreign enterprises in their new development strategies.
From an investor's perspective, Huong Vu, Vice Chair of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises, highlighted transfer pricing as a major issue for the FDI sector. She recommended that tax authorities avoid the mechanical application of standard benchmarking indicators for newly established firms, which often report losses in their first three years, and instead evaluate files based on the specific operational realities of each industry.
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