In the context of increasingly fierce competition among countries to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), under the wise leadership of the Party and the decisive management of the Government, Vietnam continues to affirm its position as a reliable and attractive investment destination for many leading global economic corporations – a vivid testament to its aspiration to rise in the new era.
FDI Inflows - A Measure of Confidence in Vietnam's Investment Environment
The vibrant reality from the first months of 2026 shows that foreign investment continues to flow strongly into Vietnam with increasingly improved quality, reflecting the firm confidence of the international investment community in the political and macroeconomic stability and the determination of the Party and State to reform institutions.
According to a report by the General Statistics Office of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam, the total registered FDI capital in Vietnam in the first two months of 2026 reached US$6.03 billion. Notably, implemented FDI capital is estimated at US$3.21 billion, an increase of 8.8% compared to the same period last year – the highest disbursement rate for the first two months of the year in the past five years. This is a highly significant figure, clearly demonstrating the tangible effectiveness in attracting and utilizing foreign investment capital.
Newly registered capital recorded 620 licensed projects, with a total registered capital of US$3.54 billion, an increase of 20.2% in the number of projects and a 61.5% increase in capital compared to the same period last year. Alongside this, a series of large-scale projects continued to be selected for implementation in Vietnam by strategic investors, such as: the Seojin Vietnam Factory project (South Korea) adjusted its capital increase by US$453.8 million, raising the total investment to US$760 million in Bac Ninh; the Singvin stainless steel factory project in Ha Tinh with a total capital of US$380 million...
Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen provinces – two dynamic localities in attracting investment – have granted investment approval decisions with total capital of over US$1.03 billion and US$1.059 billion respectively since the beginning of the year. These are positive signals, demonstrating the sustainable attractiveness of Vietnam's investment environment right from the start of the new year.
Proactive Institutional Reform - A Solid Foundation for attracting a New Generation of Investment
One of the outstanding highlights, creating a strategic shift in attracting FDI, is the National Assembly's approval of the amended Investment Law in December 2025 - demonstrating the far-sighted vision and strong reform spirit of the Party and State in building a transparent, internationally competitive investment environment.
The amended law focuses on key directions: strengthening decentralization and delegation of power; standardizing authority and administrative procedures; and especially promoting a strong shift from a "pre-approval" to a "post-approval" mechanism in managing business conditions. Along with that, the law designs a special investment procedure mechanism, creating a smooth "runway" for high-tech projects, strategic infrastructure projects, and mega-projects, as well as research and development (R&D) projects.
Commenting on these innovations, Mr. Hong Sun, Honorary Chairman of the Korean Business Association in Vietnam, affirmed that the legalization of new investment support mechanisms – replacing the old tax incentives in line with global minimum tax regulations – will help Vietnam retain large investors. The amended Investment Law has sent a strong message that Vietnam is proactively and confidently adapting to global rules, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the investment environment.
Lawyer Nguyen Hong Chung, Chairman of DVL Lawfirm, commented: shifting from pre-approval to post-approval is a "lever" to reduce compliance costs and increase market flexibility – but for this lever to be effective, it must have a solid "foundation" in the form of a synchronized system of standards, data, and sanctions. This reform requires both the State and businesses to mature and improve their enforcement capabilities.
Shifting FDI structure towards Quality, Modernity, Greenness, and Sustainability
One of the prominent positive trends is the strong shift in the structure of FDI flows towards high-quality, high-tech sectors, green industries, renewable energy, and the digital economy — perfectly aligned with the strategic direction for national development set forth by the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and further affirmed in the Party's resolutions and policies on sustainable socio-economic development.
In particular, the energy sector has attracted significant interest from foreign investors. A series of LNG, green hydrogen, and renewable energy projects have been proposed and are being accelerated, such as: the proposed investment of US$10 billion to build the Ca Na LNG Power Center from a consortium of investors from the US, South Korea, and Singapore; SK Group (South Korea) wishes to invest $2 billion in a 1,500 MW LNG thermal power project in Nghe An...
As Mr. Van Duc Phu, Director of the Foreign Investment Department (Ministry of Finance), emphasized: the ultimate goal is not the registered capital figure, but the actual added value and opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to participate more deeply in the global supply chain — this is the true measure of sustainable success in attracting FDI.
Proactive Resource Preparation – Ready to welcome a New Wave of Investment
Recognizing the urgent demands of the new development phase, the Ministry of Finance is urgently developing a Project for the Development of the Foreign-Invested Economy and a Project for Attracting a New Generation of Foreign Investment, with institutional and policy orientations that are open, attractive, and superior to those of other countries in the region.
Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong affirmed that investors have clearly seen Vietnam's thorough and specific preparations in being ready to receive large investment projects. Regarding fundamental conditions – land, energy, human resources – preparations are being proactively made with many groundbreaking new features. In particular, the Ministry has been tasked with training 50,000 high-quality engineers and workers in the high-tech and semiconductor fields to meet the needs of the new wave of investment.
Vietnam's fundamental advantages—a stable macroeconomic environment, a population of over 100 million, a young and increasingly high-quality workforce, and an attractive and continuously improving investment attraction policy system—continue to be solid foundations for Vietnam to maintain and enhance its position in the global competition for FDI.
The positive signals from FDI inflows in the first months of 2026, along with the correct and timely decisions of the Party, the National Assembly, and the Government in improving institutions and the investment environment, are important grounds for the entire Party, the people, and the business community to believe that Vietnam will continue to be a reliable and attractive investment destination—worthy of the nation's aspiration to rise in the new era.