CẦN THƠ — The People’s Committee of Cần Thơ City on October 1 welcomed a delegation from the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in HCM City to discuss the local investment environment and opportunities for Japanese enterprises following the city’s recent merger.

Speaking at the meeting, Okabe Mitsutoshi, chief representative of JETRO in HCM City, emphasised that Japanese enterprises were carefully following the way Cần Thơ was restructuring its master plan after the merger and introducing new policies to attract investment.

He explained that the findings from this working visit would be compiled and published on JETRO’s official website, providing updated information for Japanese companies considering expanding into Việt Nam, particularly the southern region.

Okabe noted that Việt Nam continued to appeal to Japanese investors thanks to its stable political and social environment, dynamic market growth, favourable demographics and relatively low labour costs.

These, he said, remained decisive advantages for firms looking at long-term investments.

However, he also pointed out that challenges persisted. Administrative procedures were still seen as complex, labour costs were beginning to rise, and infrastructure had yet to be upgraded to meet the needs of international investors.

If such bottlenecks were addressed, Japanese businesses would feel more reassured and committed, he said, adding that JETRO aimed to serve as a bridge linking Japanese enterprises with Cần Thơ and further deepening the partnership between the two countries.

On behalf of the city, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee Vương Quốc Nam expressed his gratitude to JETRO for its support and gave an overview of the city’s socio-economic landscape.

He stressed that the merger had created a new development space, unlocking greater potential in agriculture, aquaculture, seaports and logistics.

Nam underlined that Cần Thơ’s economy was now valued at approximately VNĐ295 trillion (US$11.6 billion).

The city’s annual budget revenue reached about VNĐ25.4 trillion ($1 billion), while export turnover was around VNĐ127 trillion ($5 billion).

With strengths in rice, fruit and aquaculture production, the city has become a key supplier for both domestic consumption and exports.

Each year, Cần Thơ produces about 4.6 million tonnes of rice, 700,000 tonnes of seafood and 650,000 tonnes of fruit. Among its agricultural highlights is the world-acclaimed ST25 rice variety, which has been recognised as one of the best in the world.

Nam noted that the abundance of raw materials had enabled the city to expand its processing industries.

Industrial clusters focusing on agro-processing and seafood processing were being strengthened to enhance value addition, sectors which Japanese enterprises had already shown keen interest in.

He added that Cần Thơ was also emerging as a centre for renewable energy.

The city currently hosts 20 wind power projects, of which seven are already commercially operational.

This, together with ongoing plans for a deep-water seaport in Trần Đề, would help position Cần Thơ as a logistics and energy hub for the Mekong Delta.

At present, Cần Thơ has attracted 125 foreign direct investment projects worth more than $7 billion.

Among them are 13 Japanese-invested projects with total registered capital of $1.65 billion.

Expanding opportunities

The city is also moving to diversify investment in modern services.

According to Nam, Cần Thơ is encouraging development in e-commerce, digital trading platforms, commercial centres, as well as tourism products highlighting its waterways and eco-tourism potential.

He added that the city was inviting investment in organic farming, high-quality seedlings, circular agriculture and biomass projects such as cereal cultivation for animal feed pellets and wood pellets for export.

With available cleared industrial land, the city was ready to welcome investors in multi-sector projects spanning agriculture, industry, clean energy and services.

“Cần Thơ has always opened its doors to international partners, and we believe Japanese enterprises will find fertile ground here for their long-term development,” Nam said. – VNS