Foreign investors in Vietnam disbursed a total of 9.85 billion USD from begining of this year to July 20, up 8.8 percent from a year earlier, the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment said.

 

Foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments soared 4.6 percent year on year to 22.94 billion USD in the January-July period. Of the amount, fresh approvals increased 2.2 percent to 13.2 billion USD while investors added 4.95 billion USD to existing projects or equivalent to 84.2 percent of the same period last year.

 

Foreign investors injected their money in 17 sectors and areas. Manufacturing and processing continued to be the most appealing sector by attracting 9.63 billion USD from January to July, accounting for 41.95 percent of the total registered investment. It was followed by real estate trading with 5.6 billion USD (24.4 percent) and retail and wholesale with 1.69 billion USD (7.4 percent).

 

Japan remained the leading foreign investor by pouring 6.88 billion USD into Vietnam during the period. The Republic of Korea ranked second with 5.46 billion USD, while Singapore came next with 2.73 billion USD.

 

According to the FIA, foreign investors were present in 59 cities and provinces. Of them, the capital lured the largest share 6.17 billion USD. Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau were runners-up with 4.12 billion USD and 2.15 billion USD.-VNA