Vietnam remains appealing destination for Japanese investors

The proportion of Japanese enterprises that intend to expand their investment in Việt Nam in the next one to two years is 60 per cent, up 4.7 points from the previous year and the highest among Southeast Asian countries.

This figure is part of a survey on Japanese investment in Asia and Oceania 2022 by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Việt Nam.

In a similar survey in China, the number of Japanese enterprises that have plans to expand their investment in China in the next one to two years is only 33.4 per cent, the lowest level since the survey started in 2007.

In addition, the percentage of Japanese enterprises operating in Việt Nam forecast to be profitable in 2022 is 59.5 per cent, up 5.3 points compared to 2021.

According to JETRO, the main reason for the improving business profits in Việt Nam, in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, is due to the country's strong socio-economic recovery from the pandemic.

Many firms said business this year improved compared to last year largely due to a strong recovery after the pandemic, especially in the consumer goods manufacturing industry and the service industry.

However, some businesses said they faced difficulties in purchasing raw materials due to increased labour costs and logistics costs, according to the survey.

Regarding prospects in 2023, 53.6 per cent of surveyed Japanese businesses answered "improved", the highest in Asia and Oceania.

Meanwhile, 6.9 per cent of surveyed Japanese businesses answered "worse" in terms of business profit prospects compared to 2022.

The survey was conducted in 20 countries and territories in Asia and Oceania and received responses from 603 Japanese enterprises operating in Việt Nam.