Vietnam has emerged as an increasingly important driver of regional economic integration over the past three decades, with two-way trade with ASEAN soaring to approximately 91 billion USD in 2025 from only 3.26 billion USD in 1995.

With a coastline stretching nearly 3,300 km and maritime areas covering more than 1 million sq.km, Vietnam is strategically positioned along major international shipping routes linking East Asia with Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Beyond trade, Vietnam has gradually shifted from being a beneficiary of regional integration to a contributor to ASEAN’s future development.

Politburo Resolution 10 on foreign-invested economic development has set an ambitious target: attracting between $200 billion and $300 billion in registered foreign direct investment (FDI) during the 2026-2030 period.

With businesses seeking billions of dollars, banks raising deposit rates and the government accelerating infrastructure spending, Vietnam is entering an unprecedented competition for capital.

Vietnam’s merchandise foreign trade posted impressive growth in the first five months of 2026, with total turnover rising by nearly 90 billion USD year-on-year.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has set an ambitious goal for Vietnam to achieve annual economic growth of at least 10% during the 2026-2030 period as the country works toward becoming a high-income developed nation by 2045.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam has signed Politburo Resolution No. 10 on the development of the foreign-invested sector of the economy.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has repeatedly asked commercial banks to lower deposit and lending interest rates as one of the solutions to achieve double-digit growth.

Despite signs of moderating growth, Vietnam’s economy continues to demonstrate considerable resilience in the face of rising cost pressures and an increasingly uncertain external environment, according to the United Overseas Bank (UOB).

Behind every growth statistic are millions of ordinary decisions made by ordinary people: opening another shop, hiring another worker, bringing in another shipment of goods, or simply choosing to keep a business afloat.

In 2025 alone, the National Assembly passed 89 laws. Combined with 2024, the total number of newly enacted or amended laws reached 120, exceeding the total for the previous eight years combined.

Industrial production continued to be a major growth driver. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in May increased 8.8% year-on-year, while the five-month figure rose 9.1%, the highest growth rate in four years.

Vietnam passed a record number of laws in 2025, but the bigger story may be whether businesses and institutions can adapt quickly enough to the accelerating pace of reform.

A small urban pho shop can easily hit annual revenue of VND 2 to 3 billion, yet the owner has hesitated to transition to a corporate model.

Vietnam’s total import-export turnover reached 445.12 billion USD in the first five months of 2026, up 25% year-on-year, according to data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance on June 3.

Strong domestic tax collections helped state budget revenue rise 15.4% year-on-year during the January-May period, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Vietnam’s economy continues to draw international attention after expanding 8.02% in 2025, the fastest growth rate in Southeast Asia despite global economic headwinds and geopolitical uncertainties.

Vietnam’s push to maintain low interest rates is helping support growth, but much of the country’s cheap money continues flowing into real estate instead of production.