Vietnamese firms invested US$575 million abroad over the last eight months of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 74.1 percent, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. 

The above figure includes US$150.1 million committed in 40 projects, equal to 68.7 percent of the capital volume of the same period last year. The rest was added to 13 existing projects, 3.8 times higher than that of the same period last year. 

Science and technology took the lead among 13 sectors Vietnamese firms invested in with total newly-registered and additional capital valued at US$270.8 million, making up 47.1 percent. 

Retail sales was the runner-up with US$150.9 million, accounting for 26.2 percent. 

Among 20 nations and territories receiving investment capital from Viet Nam, the U.S. ranked first with US$302.8 million, making up 52.7 percent. It was followed by Cambodia, Laos and Canada with US$89.4 million, US$47.8 million and US$32.1 million, respectively. 

As of August 20, the Southeast Asian nation poured US$21.8 billion in 1,428 overseas projects, mainly focusing on mining (36.3 percent) and agriculture-aquatic-forestry sector (15.3 percent). 

Laos was the largest receiver for Viet Nam’s overseas investment ( making up 23.8 percent), followed by Cambodia (13.1 percent) and Russia (12.9 percent).