Vietnam is expected to attract 15 Japanese firms of different sizes that will receive Japanese government’s subsidies to shift manufacturing plants out of China to diversify its supply chain.

Vietnam has for the first time been named a “Semi-Transparent” market in the 2020 Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) thanks to the progress in its largest markets, HCM City and Ha Noi. 

Many financiers from the Republic of Korea (RoK) are expecting that regulations on financial investment activities in Vietnam will become clearer and more open with the revised Investment Law coming into force.

“Someone said the land rent in IZs has surged to $150-200 per square meter. But rent of $100 is considered high already,” said Do Nhat Hoang, director of the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).

The nation’s successful efforts to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic is being taken as a guarantee of the country’s full commitment to a safe and competitive investment environment in comparison to regional neighbours.

An online discussion took place recently in Washington D.C. to look into post-COVID-19 investment opportunities throughout ASEAN, with some companies saying they will soon announce investment and business expansion plans in Vietnam.

Vietnam and South Korea are witnessing their heyday in multi-faceted and bilateral co-operation.

ASEAN countries should stop offering aggressive tax incentives in order to attract foreign funds, as it could create an unfair business climate among enterprises and lead to an acute state budget deficit.

As Vietnam is attracting high-quality foreign inflows, domestic firms now have an even greater opportunity to draw technology transfer to improve added value in its manufacturing industry.

Driven by new encouraging policies and motivations, more fresh opportunities will be coming for Japanese investors in Vietnam, expecting a new investment wave ahead.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s (MOIT) report on industrial production and trade activities in H1 showed that Vietnam’s great achievements in containing the epidemic were highly appreciated by the international community.

The State needs to be wary of new business registration applicants and M&A deals related to Chinese investors, Bui Ngoc Son from the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) has said.

With a growing number of multinationals looking to set a foothold in Vietnam, the country is having a great opportunity from a new wave of foreign investment, according to the trade ministry.

US businesses are seeking Vietnamese partners in various business fields, according to the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC).

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has proposed the Government to allow petrol and oil businesses to transfer stakes to foreign investors, but not exceeding 35 per cent.

Speeding up infrastructure development and improving ease of doing business and vocational training are among things Vietnam can do to make itself more attractive to foreign investors post-Covid-19, according to VinaCapital.

Vietnam’s new immigration law includes a new type of visa for foreigners who come to Vietnam to conduct activities as part of international agreements Vietnam has signed.

With a scale of nearly US$180 billion and an annual two-digit growth rate, the Vietnamese consumer retail market is being squeezed by foreign investors.

Newly-licensed large-scale projects which can attract satellite ventures in the supporting industries are expected to reinforce Vietnam’s initial target of almost $40 billion in registered foreign investment capital for the whole year.

Problems in land access and administrative procedures continue to exist, making it difficult for industrial real estate to develop over the long term, experts say.