Foreign investment in Vietnam reach $2.55B in early 2023

However, this figure is up 11.4 percentage points compared to January, according to data released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The total newly registered, adjusted, and contributed capital, as well as capital for purchasing shares or contributing capital by foreign investors, reached nearly $3.1 billion, down 38% compared to the same period in 2022. The country recorded 261 new projects with a registered capital of over $1.76 billion, which is nearly 2.8 times higher than the same period last year.

The processing and manufacturing industry led the way, with a total registered investment capital of over $2.17 billion, accounting for 70.1% of the total registered investment capital. The real estate business sector was next, with a total investment capital of nearly $396.9 million, accounting for over 12.8% of the total registered investment capital.

There were 51 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with Singapore leading with a total investment capital of over $978.4 million, accounting for nearly 31.6% of the total investment capital in Vietnam, a decrease of 42.7% compared to the same period in 2022. Taiwan came in second with nearly $407.1 million, accounting for 13.1% of the total investment capital, up 3.85 times compared to the same period.

In the first two months of 2023, exports (including crude oil) were estimated at over $38.4 billion, down 5.3% compared to the same period, accounting for 76.7% of the country's export turnover. Exports excluding crude oil were estimated at nearly $38.1 billion, down 5.5% compared to the same period, accounting for nearly 76% of the country's export turnover. Meanwhile, the import turnover of this area was estimated at over $33 billion, down 10.9% compared to the same period and accounting for 67.5% of the country's import turnover.

Despite the overall decrease in export turnover in the first two months, the foreign-invested area still recorded a trade surplus of nearly $5.4 billion, including crude oil, and a surplus of over $5 billion excluding crude oil. In contrast, the domestic enterprise sector recorded a trade deficit of over $4.2 billion.

Overall, while foreign investment in Vietnam has decreased in the early months of 2023, there are still positive signs of growth in specific industries and investments from certain countries.