Hai Phong prepares for new cycle of FDI growth

Building momentum for a new growth cycle

After securing more than USD 3.098 billion in FDI during the first half of 2026, well above the six-month target scenario of USD 1.88 billion and 1.75 times higher than the same period last year, Hai Phong is accelerating efforts to achieve its full-year target of USD 3.6 – 4 billion.

Beyond the numbers, however, the city is preparing for a new stage of development. As global competition for investment intensifies and supply chains continue to be restructured, Hai Phong is positioning itself to attract high-quality FDI projects that generate greater added value and stronger spillover effects across the economy.

What distinguishes Hai Phong's current investment attraction strategy is not a greater reliance on incentives but its efforts to create new competitive advantages through institutional reform, expanded development space, and an improved investment environment.

Major initiatives, including the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone, the Specialized Economic Zone, the Southern Coastal Economic Zone master plan, and next-generation industrial parks, are gradually taking shape, opening up new opportunities for the city's future development.

Alongside institutional improvements, Hai Phong is also expanding its development space to accommodate new investment. The recent approval by the city People's Committee of the investment policy for Gia Loc 3 Industrial Park, with a total investment of nearly VND 2.5 trillion by Dai An Industrial Park Infrastructure Development One Member Co., Ltd., does more than add 130 hectares of industrial land. It reflects the city's strategy of partnering with experienced infrastructure developers capable of attracting high-tech and supporting industry projects.

Having already developed an ecosystem that hosts dozens of FDI enterprises from many countries, Dai An is expected to continue building a modern manufacturing environment that meets the increasingly demanding requirements of international corporations expanding their operations in Vietnam.

These efforts demonstrate that Hai Phong is looking beyond short-term FDI attraction and instead building the foundations for a new cycle of growth. By complementing its geographical advantages with stronger institutions, modern infrastructure, and a higher-quality investment environment, the city is enhancing its competitiveness in attracting the next generation of FDI.

Turning advantages into growth drivers

For Hai Phong, attracting FDI is not merely about increasing investment capital; it is also one of the key drivers of economic growth. FDI enterprises make significant contributions to industrial production, exports, logistics, state budget revenues, and job creation. Improving the quality of investment attraction is therefore aimed not only at increasing the number of projects but also at creating the conditions needed for the city to achieve its target of GRDP growth of at least 13% in 2026.

With its extensive seaport network, industrial parks, logistics infrastructure, and newly emerging development areas, Hai Phong is well positioned to become a modern industrial and logistics hub for the region. At the same time, the city is shifting its focus from attracting investment based on quantity to selecting projects that feature advanced technologies, high added value, environmental sustainability, and strong linkages with domestic enterprises.

This direction is reflected in the city Party Committee’s Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU dated July 15, 2026 on implementing the city's target of achieving GRDP growth of at least 13% in 2026. Among its key economic development measures, the resolution identifies improving the quality of non-budget investment attraction as a priority. It calls for developing a list of priority projects to proactively engage strategic investors, accelerating the conversion of memorandums of understanding into concrete projects, creating a sufficient supply of cleared land, removing bottlenecks in industrial park development, and streamlining procedures to support investors from the initial research stage through project implementation.

As competition for FDI becomes increasingly intense, geographical location and infrastructure alone will no longer be sufficient to differentiate a destination without a transparent, efficient, and business-friendly investment environment. With a commitment to institutional reform, development space expansion, and stronger implementation capacity, Hai Phong is steadily transforming its advantages into competitive strengths, laying the foundation for attracting high-quality FDI and achieving rapid and sustainable growth in the years ahead.

LE HIEP