Vietnam has become one of the leading countries in Southeast Asia in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), according to an article published on September 21 on the website gfmag.com of Global Finance Magazine.

Viet Nam has moved up four places to secure the 106th position out of 165 countries and territories in the Economic Freedom of the World index, according to the Canada-based Fraser Institute.

The world economy is set for a slowdown as interest rate increases weigh on activity and China’s pandemic rebound disappoints.

Vietnam has exported six million tons of rice worth US$3.2 million this year, 21% and 35% up in terms of volume and value from the same period last year.

The Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is completing procedures to facilitate the export of Vietnamese durian to India, said deputy director of the department Nguyen Thi Thu Huong.

China's ban on Japanese seafood due to fear of radioactive contamination has Vietnamese firms seeing opportunities to ship more products, but the gain has been marginal as Chinese demand drops.

High demand from the Chinese market and the repercussions of droughts and floods in various countries prompted an increased import of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables.

Vietnam lured close to 18.15 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) from the beginning of this year to August 20, up 8.2% year-on-year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.