In the first half of 2025, the newly expanded Ho Chi Minh City recorded over USD 5.2 billion in total FDI. The core city alone attracted more than USD 2.7 billion, a 123.1% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Key projects include a semiconductor manufacturing plant by Be Semiconductor Industries N.V. (USD 42 million), CMC’s Data Center (USD 250 million), Amazon Data Services Vietnam’s capital increase (USD 48 million), and GSK Vietnam’s pharmaceutical investment (USD 133 million).

Even before the merger, Ho Chi Minh City had led the nation with over USD 59.7 billion in effective registered FDI. Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau also ranked among the top 10 FDI destinations, with cumulative investments of USD 42.9 billion and USD 38.2 billion respectively. These figures highlight the region’s strong appeal to global investors.

With a population of around 14 million and a combined area of nearly 6,800 km², the new Ho Chi Minh City emerges as a fully integrated economic center. It combines Ho Chi Minh City’s strengths in finance, services, and innovation; Binh Duong’s role as an advanced industrial hub; and Ba Ria-Vung Tau’s function as an international logistics gateway with deep-water ports and vibrant coastal tourism.

These combined advantages provide an ideal environment for investment and operations. According to Warrick Cleine MBE, Chairman and CEO of KPMG Vietnam, “Vietnam is fast becoming a top global investment destination. The merger of Ho Chi Minh City enhances investor confidence for large-scale, long-term projects by creating a more unified and robust market.”

Comprehensive incentives for investors

Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, emphasized the city's commitment to fostering a favorable business environment and empowering the private sector as a key growth driver. He highlighted the city’s efforts to link domestic and foreign enterprises, forming regional and global supply chains.

Immediately after the merger, the city began reviewing and updating its investment attraction portfolio, prioritizing sectors such as international transit ports, innovation hubs, R&D centers, new materials, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, integrated circuit design, flexible electronics, and next-generation chip and battery technologies.

To attract strategic FDI in high-value science and technology, the city is finalizing legal frameworks for priority sectors. Ho Chi Minh City also aims to significantly reduce administrative processing times - for instance, cutting investment license issuance and capital contribution registration from 15 to 7 working days, and license updates from 3 to 1 working day.

One of the city’s core strategies through the end of 2025 is to accelerate infrastructure preparation and regional connectivity. The goal is to shorten feasibility study evaluations and post-design construction approval by at least 30%. Priority infrastructure includes the An Phu interchange, segments 1 and 2 of Ring Road 2, and components of Ring Road 3 and the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai expressway.

In parallel, the city is building modern digital infrastructure, expanding 5G commercialization, and exploring 6G technologies. It will implement a digital twin traffic control project using next-gen AI at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and in central urban areas.

PV