Samsung Electronics CEO Roh Tae-moon (left) and Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (right)
The “Made in Vietnam” Smartphone
On the evening of August 26, the Prime Minister met with Mr. Roh Tae Moon, CEO of Samsung Electronics, during his business trip to Vietnam.
Mr. Roh Tae Moon informed that, as of last year, Samsung’s total investment in Vietnam reached $23.2 billion. In addition to Samsung Electronics, other Samsung entities such as Samsung Display, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and others have, are, and will continue to expand their investments in Vietnam.
He also shared that by the end of June 2025, the mobile phone factories in Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen had reached the milestone of producing 2 billion mobile phones over 16 years since starting production in April 2009.
Revenue for the first six months of 2025 reached $31.8 billion, with exports reaching $28 billion. Notably, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 “Made in Vietnam,” launched in July, is receiving much love in markets worldwide, including the US and Europe.
Prime Minister signing a commemorative plaque for the production of the 2 billionth Samsung mobile phone in Vietnam – Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac.
The Prime Minister highly appreciated Samsung’s contributions and hoped that the Group would continue to expand its investments in Vietnam in the coming time, especially in high technology, research and development (R&D); support Vietnam in building a technology ecosystem, especially in chip and electronics manufacturing; promote digital transformation, develop information technology infrastructure, and train high-quality human resources; promote localization, transfer technology to Vietnam, and have Vietnamese people in Samsung Vietnam’s leadership…
CEO Roh Tae Moon shared that since 2015, Samsung has implemented many programs to develop Vietnam’s supporting industries. Especially since the beginning of this year, Samsung Vietnam has combined with the Group to form a quick response team to build a systematic supply source search process; expand supply source search activities. After finding potential enterprises, Samsung will focus on providing smart factory consulting to not only enhance competitiveness but also train manufacturing experts.
16 Years of Investment in Vietnam
Samsung’s journey in Vietnam over the years.
Initial Stage (2008–2014): Laying the Foundation – Rapid Expansion
In 2008, Samsung was officially granted an investment license and started constructing the Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) factory in Bac Ninh, with an initial capital of $670 million. In a short time, the total investment increased significantly to $1.5 billion and then to $2.5 billion, nearly four times the initial amount.
In March 2013, Samsung continued to build the Samsung Electronics Vietnam Thai Nguyen (SEVT) factory with an initial investment of $2 billion. After the expansion, SEVT officially operated in March 2014 with a total investment of $5 billion.
Just 20 days after starting operations, SEVT achieved an export value of $90 million; by the end of the first year, exports reached $8 billion. Over ten years, SEVT has produced about 925 million mobile phones, bringing in billions of dollars in export turnover each year.
Expanding Production and R&D (2015–2021)
Entering a new phase, Samsung continuously increased capital and built factories. By the end of 2021, the accumulated capital reached $18 billion, exceeding 102% of the approved capital ($17.7 billion).
The production system then included six factories in Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City and a research and development (R&D) center in Hanoi.
Notably, the R&D Center in Hanoi (SVMC) became Samsung’s most extensive research base in Southeast Asia, developing software, AI, and 5G technologies with an investment of over $220 million.
Samsung’s R&D Center in Hanoi. Photo: Luu Quy.
Modernization and Upgrading Stage (2022–2025)
In early 2024, Samsung Display Vietnam implemented an $1.8 billion project to produce OLED screens in Bac Ninh, the largest FDI project licensed in Vietnam that year. Thanks to this project, Samsung’s total investment in Bac Ninh increased from $6.5 billion to $8.3 billion.
In 2024, Samsung’s total investment in Vietnam reached $23.2 billion, maintaining its position as the largest FDI investor in Vietnam.
In just the first six months of 2025, Samsung Vietnam achieved a revenue of $31.8 billion, of which $28 billion came from exports, accounting for about 12.7% of the country’s total export turnover.
Samsung is not only the largest FDI investor but also plays a crucial role in Vietnam’s trade balance. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, for many consecutive years, the group has accounted for about 20% of the country’s total export turnover. In 2024, Samsung’s export turnover reached nearly $70 billion, contributing significantly to the economy’s growth. Currently, 90,000 Vietnamese employees are working for Samsung.
