Foreign investment in Jan-Apr highest in four years

The figure was US$7.5 billion, US$10.6 billion and US$8 billion for the same period in 2016, 2017 and last year, respectively.

In the first four months of the year, nearly 1,100 new projects obtained investment certificates, with total registered capital of US$5.34 billion, surging by 50.4% year-on-year. In addition, nearly 395 operational foreign-invested projects won approval to receive additional funding of US$2.11 billion, down 6% against the same period last year.

However, the period saw a surge in foreign indirect investment.

Foreign investors conducted more than 1,650 transactions to contribute funds to and acquire shares in local firms, at a combined value of US$5.68 billion, marking a threefold increase against that seen in the first four months of 2018.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency, foreign investors injected capital into 19 sectors, of which the manufacturing and processing sector attracted the most capital, at a total of US$10.5 billion, making up nearly 72% of the fresh capital.

The real estate sector came in second, with US$1.1 billion, followed by the wholesale and retail sector with US$742.7 million.

Hong Kong was Vietnam’s largest investor in the four-month period, with US$4.7 billion, or roughly one-third of the total. South Korea ranked second, with US$1.98 billion, followed by Singapore with US$1.87 billion.