Vietnam saw foreign-invested projects valued at USD1.2bn in January according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The value, however, is 19.8% lower from the same period last year. In the first month of 2023, Vietnam granted licences to 153 new foreign-invested projects, up 48.5% in terms of volume. During the month, capital added in operating projects by foreign investors saw a yearly decline of 76% to USD306.3m while their capital contributions and share purchases also declined 61% year-on-year to over USD174m. Projects related to wholesale, retail, and repair of automobiles and motorised vehicles accounted for the lion’s share of the total registered sum, at 54.1% or USD651.9m.