In July alone, as many as 167 FDI project were licensed with a total registered capital of US$13.55 billion, bringing the number of newly-licensed projects in the first seven months to 654. Most of FDI capital was poured into the service, industrial and construction sectors, only 0.5 percent into the agro-forestry-fisheries sector.

Taiwan continued to top the list of 35 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with a total of 82 projects capitalized at US$8.4 billion. It was followed by Japan (65 projects worth US$7.2 billion), Malaysia (28 projects worth US$5.07 billion), Brunei (14 projects worth US$4.3 billion) and Canada (4 projects worth US$4.2 billion).

Southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau led the country in FDI attraction, accounting for 21 percent of the total registered investment, followed by Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Tinh, Thanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Dong Nai, Kien Giang, Bac Ninh and Hanoi.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency, the registered capital of newly-licensed projects in the first seven months of this year was higher than the same period last year. Notably, there are many large projects, including a US$7.879 billion Taiwanese-invested project to build a seaport and a metallurgy factory in Vung Ang economic zone in central Ha Tinh province, a US$6.2-billion project to build the Nghi Son oil refinery factory and a US$4.3 billion project by New City Group of Brunei to develop a new urban area in south-central Phu Yen province.

In the reviewed period, 188 projects, mostly invested by the Republic of Korea, were allowed to increase investment capital by US$788.6 million. They generated jobs for about 16,000 labourers, bringing the total workers in the foreign-invested sector to 1.38 million so far, up 15.2 over the same period last year.