Localities get ready for fourth FDI boom

Hanoi – As the year 2024 is expected to witness the start of the fourth wave of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Vietnam, localities nationwide are getting ready to absorb foreign capital flows.

The shift in global production chains, especially in core technology, chip technology, and future technology industries, is opening up many opportunities for Vietnam to attract high-tech FDI capital.

In the first quarter of 2024, Vietnam registered 6.17 billion USD of FDI capital poured in 17 out of 21 economic sectors, an increase of 13.4% over the same period.

During a working session with Vietnam's Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung in China late last month, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said that some Chinese production chains in textiles, household appliances and wooden furniture have moved to Vietnam. Chinese investment in Vietnam is increasing rapidly, particularly in the electronics sector. Many Chinese supporting businesses that supply products to major global electronics companies like Samsung and Apple have also set up factories in Vietnam after surveying other competing countries.

As part of the shifting trend, Taiwanese Quanta Computer Inc Group - one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world, specialising in assembling MacBooks for Apple - decided to build its ninth computer factory in My Thuan industrial park in Vietnam's northern province of Nam Dinh with a registered capital of 120 million USD and a capacity of 4.5 million products per year in Phase 1.

Tran Anh Dung, Vice Chairman of the Nam Dinh provincial People's Council said that to attract investors, the province has made preparations in all aspects from land funds for infrastructure development in industrial parks and economic zones, human resources, energy infrastructure and supporting industries to procedures. As a result, investment registration procedures for the project were completed within just 24 hours after receiving the dossier and only 15 days after the signing of the project development agreement. This shows the importance of a supportive eco-system in attracting investment.

Do Nhat Hoang, Director of the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment said that a new wave of FDI is coming to Vietnam. In the new southern policy of the Republic of Korea (RoK), Vietnam is placed at the top position in attracting investment. Many MoUs between businesses of the two countries have been implemented since the official visit of the RoK President to Vietnam in June 2023.

Hoang affirmed that in this period, Vietnam looks for investment in high technology, and new technology and says “No” to projects with outdated technology, environmental risks or labour-intensive ones.

The fourth FDI wave to Vietnam is expected to bring US investment capital flows as many US business delegations are surveying the semiconductor chip ecosystem in Vietnam. Many European business delegations are also surveying opportunities in Vietnam with special attention to the country’s green growth strategy and its commitment to net-zero emission reduction by 2050.

Vietnam has been concentrating on preparing clean land funds through infrastructure development in industrial parks, training high-quality human resources, developing new electricity sources, and logistic services and improving business climate, Hoang said.

He added that in the past, it was difficult for FDI investors to meet provincial leaders and officials, but now top provincial leaders are willing to meet, discuss and support investors to solve their business problems.

To attract high-tech projects, economists recommended that the Government improve competitiveness by building an appropriate investment incentive policy framework, especially when Vietnam started applying the global minimum tax regime on January 1, 2024.

In particular, Vietnam needs to have policies to support domestic enterprises so that they can participate deeper in the supply and production chains of FDI enterprises, especially in the high technology segment.

As of March 20, total newly-registered, additional, and contributed capital and share purchases of foreign investors stood at more than 6.17 billion USD in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 13.4 per cent.

In anticipation of rising foreign direct investment inflows into Vietnam, Searefico has ventured into the logistics industry to capitalise on new opportunities.

While Vietnam and businesses are moving towards sustainability, hubs of environmental concerns remain in attractive investment destinations, requiring a change in order to become competitive.

Vietnam has so far drawn nearly 500 billion USD in registered FDI capital after nearly four decades of opening up its economy, with investment quality improvement considered a key task for a new breakthrough phase ahead, the Ha Noi Moi newspaper assessed in its recent article.