The Vietnam Industry, Trade and Services Awards 2026 is the only award organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) that expands participation to foreign-invested enterprises (FDI). The move aligns with the spirit of Resolution No.10-NQ/TW, which identifies the FDI sector as an important component of the national economy.

Creating a level playing field for domestic and FDI enterprises

Resolution No.10-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the development of the foreign-invested sector, issued in early June 2026, clearly states that the foreign-invested economy is an important component of the national economy. The FDI business sector not only provides medium- and long-term capital for development investment but also serves as a channel for the transfer of advanced technologies, modern management practices and workforce training, while helping expand markets.

The resolution's spirit demonstrates that developing the FDI sector is not merely about attracting additional capital. It is also associated with improving efficiency, strengthening strategic autonomy, enhancing national competitiveness, expanding market networks and increasing participation in global supply chains. These requirements are also integral to Vietnam's industrialization and modernization process, supporting rapid and sustainable economic growth.

From this perspective, the Vietnam Industry, Trade and Services Awards 2026, which expands its scope to include the industrial sector and FDI enterprises, is considered a noteworthy development. The award originated as the Vietnam Trade and Services Awards, launched by the former Ministry of Trade, now the MoIT. It was held six times in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

After a 10-year hiatus, the award has been revived by the MoIT in 2026 to mark the 20th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In its latest edition, the ministry has expanded the award to cover the industrial sector, making it more consistent with the functions and responsibilities of the MoIT following the merger of the former Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Trade.

Notably, this is the only award organized by the MoIT that includes the participation of foreign-invested enterprises. The move not only broadens the pool of eligible participants but also reflects a new approach to recognizing the contributions of different business sectors operating within Vietnam's economy, in line with the views outlined in Resolution No.10-NQ/TW.

Commenting on this feature in an interview with the Newspaper of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Canh Cuong, lecturer and expert at the University of Economics and Business under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, described it as a highly progressive aspect of the award.

"In today's economy, domestic enterprises and FDI enterprises are no longer two separate sectors but are participating together in a unified production ecosystem and value chain," Nguyen Canh Cuong said.

According to him, extending the award to FDI enterprises reflects the MoIT's modern management mindset and is consistent with the Party's policy of recognizing the foreign-invested sector as an important component of Vietnam's economy. This is also the spirit emphasized in Resolution No.10-NQ/TW of the Politburo.

This approach demonstrates that FDI enterprises are not outside Vietnam's development criteria. On the contrary, when participating in evaluation and recognition activities, they are assessed according to the same standards as domestic enterprises in terms of business performance, governance, technology adoption, market responsibility and contributions to overall economic growth.

Creating opportunities for learning and global integration

In line with Resolution No.10-NQ/TW, the development of the foreign-invested sector should be linked with strategies for domestic enterprise development while fostering a synchronized and unified foreign investment ecosystem. Such an ecosystem includes not only industrial parks, economic zones, high-tech parks, innovation centers and logistics, data and energy infrastructure, but also a transparent, stable and predictable investment and business environment with low compliance costs.

In this context, an award that includes both Vietnamese and FDI enterprises goes beyond recognition. More importantly, it provides an opportunity for businesses to review their governance capabilities, innovation capacity, participation in supply chains and responsibilities toward the economy in which they operate.

Nguyen Canh Cuong emphasized that the objective of the award is not to create competition between domestic and FDI enterprises, but rather to provide opportunities for both sectors to learn from one another and share experience in governance, technology, digital transformation, sustainable development and deeper participation in global supply chains.

"An award that includes both Vietnamese and FDI enterprises will also enhance its international credibility, as the evaluation criteria will increasingly align with global standards," he said.

From the perspective of the supporting industry sector, Do Thi Thuy Huong, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Supporting Industries, also expressed strong support for the inclusion of FDI enterprises in the Vietnam Industry, Trade and Services Awards 2026 during an interview with the Newspaper of Industry and Trade.

According to Do Thi Thuy Huong, allowing FDI enterprises to participate demonstrates both respect and fairness between foreign-invested and domestic businesses. It also enables foreign-invested enterprises to recognize that they are an integral part of Vietnam's economy and share responsibility for contributing to the country's growth and development, just as they would in their home economies.

This view is consistent with the requirement outlined in Resolution No.10-NQ/TW that tangible contributions should serve as the primary benchmark for attracting, managing and utilizing foreign investment. In other words, the role of FDI enterprises should not be assessed solely by the scale of their investment capital but also by their specific contributions to industrialization, modernization, market expansion, competitiveness enhancement and deeper integration into global supply chains.

From an award originally established to honor enterprises operating in the 11 trade and service sectors that Vietnam committed to opening upon joining the WTO, the Vietnam Industry, Trade and Services Awards has continuously evolved and expanded. This development is consistent with the spirit of Resolution No.10-NQ/TW of the Politburo, which recognizes the foreign-invested business sector as an important component of the national economy.

Recognizing and honoring both domestic and FDI enterprises on the same platform also helps strengthen linkages among business sectors, encourage healthy competition, promote mutual learning and inspire enterprises to pursue higher development standards.

Resolution No.10-NQ/TW identifies the foreign-invested economy as an important component of the national economy, one that is encouraged by the State to develop over the long term and is entitled to equal treatment and fair competition with other economic sectors in accordance with the law. The participation of FDI enterprises in the Vietnam Industry, Trade and Services Awards 2026 represents a concrete manifestation of this spirit in the activities of the industry and trade sector.