The total pledged and expanded FDI during the same time went down 50 percent year on year to $1.23 billion.

As of February 20, there were 65 newly licensed FDI projects with registered capital worth $910.9 million, plummeting 55 percent over last year.

There were 25 operational FDI projects increasing their capital by $320 million, down 52 percent year on year.

Thus, the total newly pledged and raised FDI capital in the first two months of this year was $1.23 billion, down 54.5 percent from a year earlier.

In the period, the processing and manufacturing sector drew foreign investors’ attention the most, with 26 new projects. The total new investment and newly added capital reached $994.29 million, accounting for 80.8 percent of the total FDI capital.

The transportation and logistics sector ranked second with $180 million in new investments and newly added capital, followed by the retail and wholesale sector with $27.1 million.

Japan topped the list of 23 countries and territories that have invested in Vietnam in the first 2 months of this year with $1.07 billion of new investments and newly-added capital, followed by Taiwan and Singapore.

Northern Hai Phong City attracted the highest FDI investment with $605.16 million of new investments and newly added capital.

Central Khanh Hoa Province and southern Binh Duong ranked second and third, respectively.