A factory owned by a Japanese company MTEX VIỆT NAM in HCM City. Japanese firms are expanding investment in various sectors in Việt Nam. — Photo courtesy of sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — Japanese enterprises are expanding investment in sectors that are seen to have growth potential in Việt Nam, according to experts.

Japanese company Nikkiso Vietnam MFG Co.,Ltd last month decided to pour an additional US$3 million into its medical equipment factory at the Tân Thuận Export Processing Zone in HCM City.

The company said the money would be used to install more machinery and equipment to increase the production of blood tubing lines used for haemodialysis to 24 million a year.

Nikkiso Co., Ltd, the parent company, also has a factory to produce the lines in Thailand, but it decided to increase production in HCM City.

Many Japanese supporting-industry projects have been licensed this year in many localities in the south, including large ones such as Furukawa Automative Systems in Vĩnh Long ($48.8 million) to produce electric wires for cars.

In Đồng Nai Province, SMC Manufacturing (Vietnam) Co., Ltd at the Long Đức Industrial Park, which produces automatic devices for offices, factories and warehouses, has increased its investment by $70 million.

Lixil Global Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd has registered to increase its capital by $25 million, making it the largest Japanese company in the province.

Masahiko Makata, CEO of Long Đức Investment Co., Ltd., which builds the seven-year-old park’s infrastructure, said almost all the space has been leased out.

Many Japanese companies want to continue investing and the company seeks to expand the park in the second phase.

According to the Japan External Trade Organisation, of 30 companies selected by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry from 124 applicants to receive support to expand in Southeast Asia, 15 chose Việt Nam to invest and expand production.

This was a testimony to Việt Nam’s attractiveness, Takeo Nakajima, chief representative of JETRO in Hà Nội, said. In the long term, they also aim to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the country’s free trade agreements.

Takeo said the process of diversifying value chains by the Japanese enterprises began a while ago, and the COVID-19 pandemic requires firms to diversify production to two to three destinations to avoid supply chain disruptions though production costs might rise as a result.

Japanese firms established supply chains in China and South Korea, and expanded in recent years to Southeast Asia, which is an important investment destination, he said.

The Japanese Government has earmarked 70 billion yen (US$653 million) to support firms that diversify their supply chain out of China.

Experts said this would help boost investment by Japanese firms in Việt Nam.

Japanese investments are expected to flow into sectors like medical equipment, agricultural and food processing, agriculture, education, and manufacturing, they said. — VNS