Việt Nam attracted a record FDI level of US$14.59 billion in the first four months of the year. — Photo cafef.vn

HÀ NỘI — Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Việt Nam witnessed a significant yearly increase of 81 per cent to US$14.59 billion in the first four months of the year, the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under Ministry of Planning and Investment announced on Wednesday.

The result is the highest in the past four years.

FDI disbursement also rose by 7.5 per cent from the same period last year to reach $5.7 billion.

Up to 1,082 new projects were granted licences with total registered capital of $5.34 billion, up 50.4 per cent from the same period last year, while 395 existing projects receiving an additional $2.11 billion, 94 per cent of the level from the corresponding period last year.

Meanwhile, capital pledged for stake acquisitions reached $5.68 billion, triple the same period last year, the FIA said.

Foreign investors poured their cash into 19 sectors. Manufacturing and processing remained the most appealing sector by attracting $10.5 billion, accounting for 72 per cent of total investment inflow. It was followed by real estate with $1.1 billion (7.5 per cent) and wholesale and retail with $742.7 million (5 per cent).

Hong Kong was the leading source of foreign investment with $4.7 billion among 80 countries and territories investing in Việt Nam,  nearly 32.5 per cent of the country’s total FDI. South Korea ranked second with $1.98 billion (13.6 per cent), and Singapore came next with $1.87 billion (12.8 per cent).

In the first four months of the year, Hà Nội lured the largest share of registered capital with $4.47 billion, or 30.6 per cent of total investment. The capital was followed by HCM City with $2.37 billion (16.3 per cent) and the southern province of Bình Dương with $1 billion (7 per cent).

Exports (including crude oil) of the foreign sector reached $55.4 billion, a 4 per cent year-on-year increase and accounting for 70 per cent of the country’s total export turnover.

The sector's import turnover in the January-April period rose by 9 per cent compared to the same period last year to $42.3 billion, accounting for 58 per cent of the country’s total import turnover.

The foreign sector enjoyed a trade surplus of $13.1 billion in the four months. 

Vietnamese overseas investment hits $150 million

The FIA said in the first four months of the year, Vietnamese firms invested nearly $150 million in foreign markets. Of which, 44 projects were granted new investment licences, totalling $96 million while nine ones increased their investment by a total $53.5 million.

Việt Nam’s overseas investment projects mainly focused on science and technology at $81.7 million, accounting for 54.7 per cent of the total.

The banking sector took second place with total investment of $36 million, making up 24.1 per cent. It was followed by the wholesale and retail sector with $16.4 million, accounting for 11 per cent of total investment.

Vietnamese firms invested into 23 countries and territories in the period. Spain lured the biggest amount of investment from them with a large scale project of $59.8 million, accounting for 40 per cent of the total.

Cambodia and Malaysia followed with $37.9 million and $14 million respectively. — VNS