Entering FDI supply chains

Potential from the existing market

In the first eight months of 2026, Hai Phong attracted more than USD 3.47 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), 1.75 times the figure recorded in the same period last year, exceeding the eight-month scenario and reaching 84.6% of the year’s target.

Earlier, as of July 2026, the city had nearly 1,900 valid FDI projects with total registered capital of more than USD 53 billion.

Hoang Thi Thanh Tam, Deputy General Director of Ford Vietnam, said Vietnamese businesses have made progress in recent years in production capacity, management and ability to meet international standards.

“What FDI businesses are looking for is a partner that can maintain consistent quality over a long period, deliver on schedule and be ready to work with customers to improve products as the market changes,” said Tam.

An Trung Industries is a case showing that gaining a position in the supply chain requires a process. The company, part of the An Phat ecosystem, has a factory in Viet Hoa Ward and began participating in supporting industries in 2018.

After investing in and improving its technology, machinery and workforce, An Trung Industries became a Tier-2 supplier to Samsung in 2019 through Elentec Vietnam Co., Ltd. and later became a Tier-1 supplier to Brother Industries (Vietnam) Ltd.

The company spent eight months preparing to be recognized by Samsung as a supplier. With Brother, the process took nearly a year, involving around 40 meetings and assessments by various departments of the partner.

An Trung Industries is now processing components for many groups such as Samsung, Foxconn, Panasonic and Brother Vietnam. The enterprise is spending more than VND 1.15 trillion in building a factory producing molds and high-tech engineering plastic components in An Phat 1 Industrial Park, which is expected to have an annual capacity of 15,500 tons of products and 340 sets of molds.

According to executives of many FDI businesses, Vietnamese businesses do not necessarily have to start with high-tech products but need to identify their strengths and choose suitable fields.

Strengthening capabilities to join supply chains

Under a program to develop supporting industries for 2026 – 2035, by 2030, Hai Phong aims to have 300 – 350 businesses capable of participating in the supply chains of FDI businesses and multinational corporations and gradually develop domestic companies into Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers.

The program also identifies support for improving management capacity, training high-quality human resources, research, innovation and technology transfer. By 2035, the city aims to have 450 – 500 enterprises in supporting industries, forming a core group capable of directly supplying large manufacturing corporations.

For businesses, an order should not be the final destination. Investing in management, digital transformation, human resources, data traceability or environmental standards to meet the requirements of an FDI customer can become a foundation for reaching other customers, expanding markets and moving toward higher-value stages.

With FDI having surpassed USD 53 billion in scale, the effectiveness of investment attraction lies not only in the number of projects and registered capital but also in the share of value that domestic enterprises can participate in. Having more local businesses undertake stages in supply chains will contribute to developing supporting industries, strengthening production capacity and increasing the value generated in the city.

The market from nearly 1,900 FDI projects already exists in Hai Phong. For local enterprises, the issue is to choose suitable work, invest in the capabilities they lack and maintain quality in every order. As more businesses succeed in doing so, opportunities from the FDI sector will translate into specific work for Hai Phong enterprises themselves.

HA KIEN