According to data from Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Finance, in the first seven months of 2026, Vietnamese investors undertook 94 new overseas investment projects and made 15 adjustments to investment capital, bringing total capital to more than $1.2 billion.
The capital made forays into 35 countries and territories. Laos ranked first, receiving more than $638.2 million, equal to 27 per cent of total capital, followed by Cambodia with more than $449.8 million (19 per cent), and Indonesia with more than $308.6 million (13.1 per cent).
The capital was injected into 15 sectors. Transport and warehousing enticed the largest amount, with total registered investment capital of more than $601.6 million, equal to 25.5 per cent of total capital.
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| Viettel is one of local firms with substantial outbound investment. Photo: baodautu.vn |
Electricity and gas production and distribution ranked second, with more than $585.8 million, equal to 24.8 per cent.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries ranked third, with total registered investment capital of more than $487.3 million, equal to 20.6 per cent.
As of the end of July 2026, according to FIA, Vietnam had 2,075 valid overseas investment projects with total overseas investment capital of more than $26.1 billion.
Of this amount, investment was concentrated mainly in mining, surpassing $7 billion, accounting for 27 per cent of total capital; agriculture, forestry and fisheries with more than $3.8 billion, accounting for 15 per cent; and information and communications with more than $2.9 billion, accounting for 11 per cent.
By destination, Vietnamese businesses have invested in 88 countries and territories. The destinations receiving the largest amounts of Vietnamese investment were Laos with more than $7 billion, accounting for 26.9 per cent of total capital; Cambodia came second alluring more than $3.3 billion, accounting for 12.9 per cent; and Venezuela ranked third courting more than $1.8 billion, accounting for 7 per cent, among others.
Part of outbound investment has also been directed to Russia, Australia, Myanmar and Singapore.
Regarding outbound investment activities, in a study released in late June, the United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) noted that the trend of moving production activities to geographically closer markets, or nearshoring, was gaining momentum.
About one-third of surveyed Vietnamese businesses (226 businesses, including large and medium-sized entities nationwide) planned to establish or expand manufacturing operations domestically, while many businesses were also considering expansion into ASEAN (43 per cent), further reinforcing the region’s role as a key manufacturing and supply chain hub.
According to UOB, this shift is driving a strong wave of international expansion. Seven in 10 Vietnamese businesses expanded their overseas operations in 2025, while nine in 10 planned to continue expanding over the next three years.
Similarly, 80 per cent of Vietnamese businesses planned to invest overseas within the next two years, with the average planned investment expected to exceed $28 million.
ASEAN remained the top preferred destination, selected by 65 per cent of surveyed firms for their expansion plans, with Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia being the markets of greatest interest.
“Vietnamese businesses are demonstrating impressive adaptability and resilience in an increasingly volatile global environment,” said Pham Nhu Anh, head of Wholesale Banking at UOB Vietnam.
According to Nhu Anh, UOB was seeing a clear transformation, moving beyond mere recovery towards a more profound shift, as businesses stepped up investment in digital capabilities, strengthened supply chains and expanded across ASEAN to capture long-term growth opportunities.
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