On the morning of November 10, 2026, as part of the official visit to Japan by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse, Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung met with representatives of Sojitz, Shin-Etsu, and Iwatani to discuss potential investment and cooperation opportunities in the development of Viet Nam's mineral industries.

Minister Le Manh Hung was accompanied by leaders of several specialized units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including the Department of Foreign Market Development and Multilateral Trade, the Energy and Petroleum Agency, the Electricity Authority of Viet Nam, the Department of Industry, and the Geology and Minerals Agency of Viet Nam.

During the meetings, Minister Le Manh Hung spoke highly of economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Viet Nam and Japan, noting that Japanese businesses have played an important role in developing manufacturing, transferring technology, and strengthening supply chain linkages in Viet Nam. He affirmed that Viet Nam values cooperation with capable corporations possessing advanced technologies and hopes that investment activities will become increasingly aligned with sustainable development, stronger domestic business capabilities, and the training of highly skilled human resources.

Minister Le Manh Hung emphasized that Viet Nam aims to become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle-income status by 2030, and a developed, high-income country by 2045. To achieve these goals, Viet Nam considers industrial restructuring toward greater self-reliance in raw materials, technology, and production, higher localization rates, and the development of industrial value chains to be particularly important.

In this regard, Viet Nam is prioritizing the coordinated development of value chains, from the extraction and deep processing of critical minerals to the manufacturing and distribution of higher value-added industrial products. These efforts are expected to strengthen industrial competitiveness and enhance the economy's self-reliance.

Minister Le Manh Hung directly briefed the Japanese corporations on Viet Nam's policies, strategies, and conditions for cooperation in developing critical mineral industries. Representatives of the corporations expressed their appreciation to the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade for creating favorable conditions for stable investment and business operations in Viet Nam, particularly in mineral industries, chemicals, and permanent magnet manufacturing.

After presenting updates on their operations, business plans, and development strategies, the corporations expressed their interest in further strengthening cooperation and exploring opportunities to expand investment in Viet Nam's mineral industries.

Building on the respective strengths of each corporation, Minister Le Manh Hung called on Japanese businesses to strengthen connections with Vietnamese specialized agencies, research institutions, and enterprises to identify practical needs and cooperation opportunities. These efforts would help Viet Nam develop stable and sustainable strategic mineral supply chains in accordance with the laws and regulations of both countries.

The Minister also encouraged the corporations to study and translate investment opportunities in Viet Nam into concrete projects, ensuring the necessary conditions for technology transfer and the deep processing of critical minerals, among other areas, with a view to establishing supply chains in Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade stands ready to engage, coordinate, and facilitate Japanese investors' operations in accordance with Vietnamese law, supporting their effective, long-term, and sustainable presence in the country.