Vietnam-Japan investment ties are undergoing a major shift toward a “partnership for mutual development and creation.”

As part of the 2nd Vietnam-Japan Local Cooperation Forum held in Hue City on 6 September, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung held a working meeting with representatives of Japanese companies, during which the participants exchanged information openly and specifically on investment, production and business activities. Senior officials from Vietnamese ministries and agencies, as well as the Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, also attended the meeting. Japanese companies expressed their intention to continue investing over the long term, citing the country’s stability and development potential.

According to figures reported at the meeting, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Japan reached US$33.7 billion in the first 7 months of 2026, an increase of 16.8% from the same period of the previous year. Of this total, Vietnam’s exports to Japan amounted to approximately US$17.6 billion, while imports from Japan totaled approximately US$16.1 billion. Cumulative registered and adjusted investment capital from Japan amounted to approximately US$80.3 billion, while total ODA reached approximately ¥3 trillion.

The Prime Minister stated that the government would continue to improve the transparency and efficiency of the investment environment and pursue regulatory reform in specific areas, along with the development of roadmaps. The Japanese side raised 9 issues, including transport, education, energy, taxation, science and technology, and retail, and said that the government and relevant agencies should take concrete steps to address them.

The two countries confirmed their intention to promote long-term, highly transparent cooperation under a partnership centered on mutual development and creation, with priority areas including high-tech agriculture, the green transition, digital transformation and deeper supply chains.