European investors had invested US$8.35 billion into 640 projects in Vietnam by the end of September of this year, Vietnam News Agency reported.
With the investment, the EU have taken the second position among the regions directly investing in the country, followed by the East Asia, it said
The Netherlands topped the 19 EU investors in Vietnam with 81 projects valued at over US$2.5 billion, followed by France with 190 projects (US$2.4 billion) and the UK 94 projects (US$1.4 billion).
The industrial production sector attracts more than half of the EU’s investment, of which the heavy industry, oil exploration and exploitation account for 76 per cent, reaching US$4.8 billion.
Ho Chi Minh City ranked the first among cities and provinces in investment attraction from the EU, with 228 projects costing US$2.2 billion. Hanoi comes second with 127 projects (US$1.6 billion) and the southern provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Nai stand next.
Sandra Callagan, First Counsellor-Head of Political, Economic and Trade Section of the Delegation of the European Commission expressed her belief that Vietnam will see a stronger investment wave from the EU in the coming time.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese investors have been investing in modest projects in the EU, according to the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam. As of September, local companies invested US$9.6 million into 15 projects in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria, Belgium, the UK and France.
The 27-member bloc now holds 17 per cent of Vietnam’s foreign trade, becoming the biggest trade partner of the country.
The trade between Vietnam and the EU were estimated at US$9.9 billion in 2006. Of the total, Vietnam exported US$6.9 billion worth of footwear, garment, coffee, seafood, and furniture and imported machinery and telecom equipment.
Vietnam has attracted big investors from the EU namely the Prudential, BP, GSK, HSBC, Unilever, Shell, Total Elf Fina, Alstom, Siemens, Deutsche Bank and many others. (VNA)
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