Vietnam’s e-commerce market expanded strongly in 2025, yet rising platform fees and price sensitivity signal a tougher, more selective phase ahead.

The $550 billion mark is more than a target. It is a stress test for Vietnam’s export resilience in 2026, as global uncertainty deepens and the old growth model nears its limits.

According to the Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, realized foreign direct investment in Vietnam in January 2026 was estimated at 1.68 billion USD.

As the International Financial Center begins operations, Vietnam is unlocking new capital flows and economic models built on digital assets.

New land and real estate laws are reinforcing investor confidence and expanding opportunities for overseas Vietnamese to return capital home.

Close to 2,600 agricultural and seafood product lines exported to China will be required to obtain a “confirmation letter” issued by Chinese authorities before customs declaration.

The Party Secretariat has issued Directive No. 03, calling for stronger leadership over the management and development of building materials, and firmly rejecting projects that are energy- and resource-intensive.

The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) reported on February 11 that its member companies sold 36,875 vehicles in January, surging 95% from a year earlier.

The Ministry of Finance has defended its plan to impose a 0.1% tax on gold bar transactions from July 1, 2026, saying the measure is designed to curb speculation and stabilise the market without harming legitimate interests.

The capital city of Hanoi has set out plans to attract approximately 4.5 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) this year.

The Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC) has officially launched, with seven founding members and six strategic partners committing to move beyond planning and deliver tangible results.

Vietnam’s stock market surged before Tet (Lunar New Year), pushing the VN-Index near 1,800 and adding $2.6 billion to Pham Nhat Vuong’s fortune.

Bac Ninh continues to affirm its position as a leading destination for enterprises from the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam, ranking first nationwide in both number of projects and total registered investment capital.

Localities must finalize and publish provincial forest boundary databases and maps by year-end to support Vietnam’s adaptation to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

Vietnam will release preliminary results of its 2026 Economic Census seven months earlier than originally planned after adjustments to the census timeline, senior statistics officials said at a meeting in Hanoi on February 9.

After more than a century of formation and development, the coffee industry has made Vietnam one of the world’s leading coffee producers.

With the Law on E-Commerce set to take effect in July 2026, consumers can expect a safer online shopping environment, while compliant businesses will gain a solid foundation for sustainable growth of the e-commerce market.

Vietnam’s total retail sales and consumer service revenue in January reached an estimated 632.4 trillion VND (24.43 billion USD), up 2.6% month-on-month and 9.3% year-on-year, according to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.

Vietnam’s industrial production maintained strong momentum in January 2026, with the industrial production index (IIP) rising an estimated 21.5% year-on-year, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

By end-January, the number of securities trading accounts of domestic investors had reached 12,066,115, including 12,046,814 of individual investors and 19,301 of institutional investors.