Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Total foreign direct investment (FDI) disbursement in the first quarter reached 2.52 billion USD, or 99.2 percent of last year's figure as during the same period last year, according to preliminary Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) statistics. 

 

However, Vietnam only attracted 2.63 billion USD in registered FDI capital, a decrease of 36.4 percent against the same period last year, according to the FIA, run by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. 

 

Of the total amount, 2.26 billion USD was poured into 120 new projects in the first quarter, a 22.8 percent reduction from 2011, while 29 existing projects registered 368 million USD in added capital, or 30.4 percent of last year's figure. 

 

Regarding investment sectors, real estate came out top thanks to the 1.2 billion USD Becamex -Tokyu Joint Venture between Becamex IDC and Japan's Tokyu Group in the Tokyu Binh Duong Urban Area. 

 

The project helped push total registered FDI capital in March to 1.23 billion USD, equal to the total registered capital for the first two months of the year, the agency said. 

 

The processing and manufacturing industry came second, 1.17 billion USD, accounting for 44.6 percent of the total figure. 

 

The transport sector attracted the third largest FDI capital amount at 180 million USD. 

 

Japan remained the largest investor out of 26 nations and territories in the first quarter of this year, the agency confirmed. 

 

Major Japanese projects during the first three months included Tokyu Binh Duong Urban Area (1.2 billion USD), Bridgestone Vietnam Tyre Production (574.8 million USD) and Oshima Shipbuilding Vietnam (180 million USD). 

 

Southern Binh Duong province attracted the most FDI capital at 1.36 billion USD, with northern Hai Phong City in second at 605 million USD and central Khanh Hoa province in third with 180 million USD.-VNA