More than 250 delegates participated at the German Business and Investment Forum 2026 held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 13. Photo: Bich Ngoc

The forum attracted more than 250 delegates and was held with support from the German Embassy in Hanoi, the German Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the German Agency for International Cooperation, Germany Trade & Invest, and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency.

Nguyen Loc Ha, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, highlighted the positive outcomes of economic cooperation between the city and Germany, while affirming that significant potential remains for bilateral cooperation.

In the first nine months, trade between Ho Chi Minh City and Germany reached nearly $2 billion. Germany currently has 316 investment projects in the city, with total registered capital of more than $742 million, alongside 27 representative offices of German businesses.

“These results provide an important foundation for our confidence that there remains significant potential to expand cooperation between the two sides,” Ha said. “As major economic hubs and international trade gateways for their respective countries, Hamburg and Ho Chi Minh City share many similarities in their standing, potential and development orientations, particularly in maritime transport, logistics, industry, science and technology, and innovation.”

Dr Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of Hamburg, highlighted the longstanding foundation of friendship between Germany and Vietnam and reaffirmed Hamburg’s desire to deepen cooperation in trade, logistics, technology, sustainable development, science and education.

“We want to share knowledge, combine the strengths of both sides and develop joint strategies,” Tschentscher said.

As one of Germany’s leading port and logistics hubs, Hamburg has extensive experience in port infrastructure development, logistics digitalisation, renewable energy and green technologies. These strengths are expected to create practical opportunities for cooperation, helping Vietnam modernise its infrastructure and strengthen its integration into international trade networks.

Alexander Ziehe, chairman of the German Business Association in Vietnam, emphasised the importance of trust and long-term partnerships as the global economy undergoes profound changes driven by technology, shifting supply chains, sustainability requirements and geopolitical uncertainty.

“German businesses increasingly see Vietnam not only as a promising market but also as a strategic partner for the future, offering significant opportunities for cooperation in advanced manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, renewable energy, digital technology and education,” Ziehe said. “Economic cooperation is measured not by speeches or meetings, but by new investments, new projects, new jobs and new partnerships.”

Peter Kompalla, chief representative of AHK Vietnam, said Germany-Vietnam relations should continue to evolve beyond traditional trade and investment towards deeper cooperation in technology, productivity and value creation.

“The three strategic priorities for the next phase are improving productivity and advancing industrial transformation; developing infrastructure and accelerating the green transition; and training a high-quality workforce. Combining Germany’s technological strengths and management expertise with Vietnam’s manufacturing capabilities, workforce and dynamism will drive growth and enhance the competitiveness of both economies,” he said.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Germany exceeded $13.6 billion in 2025, up more than 16 per cent from 2024. In the first eight months, two-way trade surpassed $11 billion, with Vietnam’s exports to Germany reaching approximately $8 billion, up nearly 30 per cent on-year.

In terms of investment, as of September 30, Germany had 538 valid projects in Vietnam, with total registered capital of more than $3 billion, ranking 18th among 154 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

According to Dao Thanh Huong, deputy director general of the Foreign Investment Agency, these were encouraging results. However, given the scale of the German economy, its industrial capabilities and Vietnam’s demand for technology, standards, management expertise and highly skilled workers, there remains considerable scope to expand bilateral investment cooperation.

“Vietnam-Germany trade has built a dynamic foundation. Investment now needs to make a stronger, deeper and more substantive leap forward,” Huong said. “The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement has laid an important foundation for bilateral trade. Germany has ratified the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement and Vietnam hopes the remaining EU member states will complete their ratification processes soon, allowing the agreement to enter into force and provide a more favourable legal framework for long-term investment decisions.”

The forum featured three thematic sessions focusing on investment, industry and infrastructure; technology, innovation and the green transition; and human resources for industrial transformation.

Experts and business leaders discussed opportunities to attract investment, develop infrastructure, adopt advanced technologies, encourage sustainable manufacturing and train highly skilled workers, with the aim of strengthening Germany-Vietnam cooperation and enhancing economic competitiveness.