Viet Nam continued to attract strong interest from foreign investors in the first nine months of 2026, with registered FDI reaching 50.36 billion USD, up 76.4% year on year. Disbursed capital rose 12.1% to 21.07 billion USD, the highest level in five years.

“These are very positive results, demonstrating foreign investors’ confidence in Viet Nam’s investment and business environment and its growth potential,” Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Quoc Phuong said at a recent forum on connecting Vietnamese businesses to global value chains.

Although Viet Nam attracted up to 72 billion USD in registered FDI in 2008, many projects announced that year failed to materialise. Excluding that exceptional year, the 2026 figure represents a record for the first nine months.

With more than 9.7 billion USD registered in September alone, total registered FDI could exceed 60 billion USD for the full year and potentially reach 70 billion USD if several large projects are approved in the final quarter.

Meanwhile, disbursed FDI could approach 30 billion USD this year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance. This would bring Viet Nam closer to the targets set under Politburo Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW on developing the foreign-invested economy, which calls for annual registered FDI of 40–50 billion USD and disbursed capital of 30–40 billion USD during 2026–2030.

Expanding production capacity

FDI is also helping drive growth in local economies. Ha Tinh province recorded GRDP growth of 12.36% in the first nine months, supported by stronger output in automobile manufacturing, power generation, batteries, steel, yarn and paper packaging.

The expansion of major FDI-backed facilities, including Formosa Ha Tinh Steel and the Vung Ang II thermal power plant, helped the index of industrial production in the province surge 40.2%, the highest nationwide.

New production capacity in electronics, mechanical engineering, metals, packaging and automobile components has also contributed to Hai Phong’s 12.08% GRDP growth, ranking third nationwide.

FDI enterprises continued to play a major role in exports. Of Viet Nam’s total export turnover of 434.3 billion USD in the first nine months, foreign-invested businesses accounted for 350.4 billion USD, including crude oil, or 80.7%.

Phuong noted that the quality of FDI had also improved, with more large-scale projects in electronics, semiconductors, digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). These investments are strengthening Viet Nam’s position in global high-tech manufacturing and semiconductor supply chains.

Preparing for a new wave of investment

Former Director of the National Statistics Office Nguyen Bich Lam said FDI should be assessed not only by registered capital but also by the production capacity it creates, the value retained in the domestic economy, links with local businesses and technology transfer.

The Government is implementing Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW through Resolution No. 280/NQ-CP, while proposed amendments to the Investment Law aim to reshape regional investment strategies and introduce more attractive incentives.

Viet Nam is also simplifying administrative procedures and developing fast-track mechanisms for strategic technology projects, including those in semiconductors, AI and data infrastructure.

Recent investment moves signal continued foreign interest. German semiconductor company Infineon Technologies has opened a new office in Ho Chi Minh City and plans to double its research and development workforce in Viet Nam.

Industrial developer WHA has also received in-principle approval for a new industrial park in Da Nang, with investment exceeding 100 million USD.

Meanwhile, Samsung is expected to continue investing billions of US dollars in semiconductor substrate production at its Electro-Mechanics plant in Thai Nguyen, according to Nikkei Asia. The report also highlighted LG’s recent investment of more than 1 billion USD, pointing to Viet Nam’s growing role in semiconductor packaging and advanced substrate manufacturing.

As these plans materialise, foreign investment is expected to further expand domestic production capacity and support Viet Nam’s growth in the years ahead.