Vietnam attracted 11.18 billion USD in foreign direct investments (FDI) in the first nine months of this year, or 74.5 percent of FDI in the same period last year.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment's Foreign Investment Agency also reported that more than 1,150 new foreign-invested projects worth 7.63 billion USD were licensed during the period, representing a 17.8-percent year-on-year decrease.

The biggest projects included Samsung Display Bac Ninh Company's 1-billion USD plant; the 225-million USD Dai An Vietnam-Canadian International Hospital; and Texhong Group of China's 215-million USD Texhong Hai Ha Industrial Park.

Meanwhile, authorities allowed 418 operating projects to add 3.54 billion USD to their investments, and this represents a 37.9-percent year-on-year decrease.

One of the bright spots was the modest 3.2-percent increase in FDI disbursement to 8.9 billion USD. The manufacturing and processing sector absorbed the largest share of FDI, reaching 7.7 billion USD or 98.3 percent of the nation's total registered capital. This was followed by estate trading industries, which attracted 1.2 billion USD, and construction industries, which lured 612.1 million USD.

From January to September, The Republic of Korea was the country's leading FDI source with 3.55 billion USD, or 31.8 percent of total registered FDI, followed by Hong Kong with 1.52 billion USD or 13.6 percent, Japan with 1.43 billion USD or 12.9 percent, and Singapore with 1.07 billion USD or 9.6 percent.

Among 50 localities, northern Bac Ninh province, Ho Chi Minh City, and the southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong, as well as Hanoi and the northern port city of Hai Phong, were the most attractive destinations for foreign investors.-VNA