Unlocking new growth potential

Dong Nai City's economy posted encouraging results in the first half of 2026, with gross regional domestic product (GRDP) expanding by 9.81%, exceeding the planned growth scenario, while the locality continued to rank among the country's largest economies.

Building on these encouraging results, the city is identifying new sources of growth and rolling out coordinated measures aimed at achieving double-digit economic expansion in 2026.

A solid foundation for growth

Despite persistent uncertainties in the global economy, production and business activities across Dong Nai have continued to recover steadily, with many key economic indicators meeting or exceeding their growth targets.

Workers at Global Powersports Manufacturing Incorporation in Giang Dien Industrial Park, Trang Bom ward.

In the first six months of 2026, Dong Nai's GRDP expanded by 9.81%, exceeding the planned growth scenario. The industry and construction sector remained the primary growth engine, while industrial production, trade and services, exports and tourism all posted solid growth, laying a strong foundation for achieving the city's 10% economic growth target this year.

Investment attraction remained a bright spot. Domestic investment exceeded the annual target by a wide margin, while foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows reached approximately US$1.5 billion. The number of newly established enterprises rose sharply in both quantity and registered capital, reflecting strong business confidence in the city's investment environment.

Progress on major infrastructure projects further strengthened investor confidence. Construction of Long Thanh International Airport, the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway and several key transport links continued steadily, opening up new room for development, enhancing regional connectivity and creating favorable conditions for attracting fresh investment.

At the same time, the investment and business environment became increasingly transparent and business-friendly. The city government maintained regular dialogue with businesses while working to resolve bottlenecks related to investment procedures, land access and site clearance. Administrative reform and digital transformation in public services were also accelerated. Together, these efforts reinforced investor confidence and helped sustain economic momentum despite continued challenges facing many other localities.

According to Cao Dang Vien, Head of the Dong Nai Statistics Office, these factors strengthened the city's resilience to external economic headwinds while laying a solid foundation for growth during the remainder of 2026.

Stepping up growth efforts

Achieving double-digit growth for the full year will require the city's economy to expand by more than 10% in the second half of 2026. While the first-half performance has been encouraging, several challenges remain. State budget revenue increased compared with the same period last year but fell short of the six-month target and remained well below the annual goal. Public investment disbursement was uneven, particularly at the commune level and in sectors such as science and technology and digital transformation. Meanwhile, the services sector failed to reach its planned growth trajectory, and emerging growth drivers, including the digital economy, innovation and high-value services, had yet to realize their full potential. These challenges require authorities at all levels to step up implementation efforts and avoid complacency despite the encouraging results achieved so far.

According to Vu Ngoc Long, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, the manufacturing and processing sector has maintained solid growth as business production gradually recovers, export orders improve and FDI projects continue to generate positive results.

He noted that the commercial operation of the Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4 power plants since late 2025 has significantly expanded electricity generation capacity, further boosting Dong Nai's industrial growth. The department will continue supporting businesses in stabilizing production, expanding export markets and maximizing opportunities arising from Vietnam's free trade agreements.

In the construction and transport sector, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of Construction, said strategic infrastructure projects are creating substantial new development opportunities.

Following the administrative merger, Dong Nai now encompasses areas with diverse range of development characteristics, including a central urban area, an airport-oriented urban zone, industrial urban centers, agricultural regions, forests, Tri An Lake and ecological areas. This requires the city to formulate a long-term integrated master plan that aligns existing planning frameworks while ensuring coordinated spatial development and efficient resource allocation.

Over the longer term, Dong Nai will continue attracting investment in high-tech industries, supporting industries, logistics and high-value trade and services. At the same time, it will accelerate the development of the digital economy, innovation and digital transformation to create new growth engines.

At an online conference held on July 13 on socio-economic management tasks for the second half of 2026, Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Dong Nai People's Committee, instructed departments and local authorities to continue implementing the targets and tasks set out in the Resolution of the 2025-2030 municipal Party Congress, the action program of the City People's Committee and the 500-day special emulation campaign titled "Solidarity – Discipline – Efficiency – Breakthrough, building a civilized and modern Dong Nai." He said these initiatives would serve as a key driving force behind the city's efforts to accomplish its 2026 development goals.

To provide a more solid basis for calculating growth scenarios, the Chairman assigned the Department of Finance, in coordination with the Dong Nai Statistics Office, to closely monitor the city's economic performance and submit regular reports to the City People's Committee, enabling timely adjustments to policy measures when necessary.

He also instructed departments overseeing sectors performing below the planned growth scenario to immediately develop corrective action plans during the third quarter of 2026, clearly defining tasks, completion timelines and accountability to the City People's Committee for their performance.

By V. The – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha