Minister Le Manh Hung Meets with Leaders of Major Japanese Industrial and Energy Corporations

On the morning of November 10, 2026, within the framework of the official visit to Japan by General Secretary, State President To Lam and his spouse, Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung held working sessions with executive representatives of major Japanese conglomerates—including Sojitz, Shin-Etsu, and Iwatani—to exchange views on investment cooperation potential and mineral industry development in Vietnam.

Accompanying Minister Le Manh Hung were leaders of specialized departments under the Ministry of Industry and Trade: the Foreign Market Development and Multilateral Trade Department, the Energy and Petroleum Authority, the Electricity Regulatory Authority, the Department of Industry, and the Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam.

Minister Le Manh Hung meets with executive representatives of Japanese corporations.

During the working sessions, Minister Le Manh Hung spoke highly of the economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Japan, emphasizing the vital role of the Japanese business community in advancing manufacturing capabilities, technology transfer, and supply chain integration in Vietnam. The Minister affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to cooperating with competent, technologically advanced corporations, while expressing desire that investment activities increasingly align with sustainable development, domestic enterprise capacity building, and high-quality human resource training.

Minister Le Manh Hung emphasized that Vietnam aims to become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed, high-income country by 2045. To realize these goals, Vietnam identifies industrial restructuring toward enhancing autonomy in raw materials, technology, and production, increasing local content rates, and developing industrial value chains as critically important priorities. In particular, focus is placed on the synchronized development of value chains from extraction and deep processing of critical minerals to manufacturing and commercializing high-value-added industrial products, thereby enhancing competitiveness and strengthening the autonomy of the national economy.

Minister Le Manh Hung provided direct policy guidance and shared insights with the Japanese conglomerates regarding Vietnam’s strategies, policies, and conditions for cooperation and development in critical mineral industries. Corporate representatives expressed their appreciation to the Government of Vietnam and the Ministry of Industry and Trade for facilitating stable investment and business operations in Vietnam, particularly in mineral processing, chemicals, and permanent magnet production. Following presentations on their operations, strategic plans, and growth roadmaps, the corporations expressed strong interest in fostering cooperation and exploring opportunities to expand mineral industry investments in Vietnam.

Minister Le Manh Hung calls on Japanese conglomerates to strengthen connections with specialized agencies, research institutions, and domestic enterprises in Vietnam.

Based on each corporation’s core strengths, Minister Le Manh Hung urged the Japanese enterprises to deepen connections with specialized agencies, research institutions, and domestic companies in Vietnam to assess practical needs and bilateral cooperation opportunities, thereby supporting Vietnam in establishing stable, sustainable strategic mineral supply chains in compliance with the legal frameworks of both nations.

The Minister recommended that the corporations thoroughly study and realize investment opportunities in Vietnam, ensuring compliance with requirements regarding technology transfer and the deep processing of critical minerals to build localized supply chains. The Ministry of Industry and Trade stands ready to engage, coordinate, and create favorable conditions in line with the law for Japanese investors to operate efficiently, sustainably, and over the long term in Vietnam.

Source: Foreign Market Development and Multilateral Trade Department