Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s overseas investment surged 74.1 percent year on year to 575 million USD in the first eight months of 2021, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The amount included 150.1 million USD poured into 40 new projects, equivalent to 68.7 percent of the figure in the same period last year, while 424.9 million USD was added to 13 existing ones, rising 3.8-fold.

With 270.8 million USD, science - technology tops the 13 sectors Vietnamese investors poured money into, accounting for 47.1 percent of the total overseas investment.

It is followed by wholesale and retail with 150.9 million USD, equivalent to 26.2 percent; agriculture, forestry, and fisheries; and administrative activities and support services.

Vietnamese investments were channeled into 20 countries and territories during the eight months.

The US was the top destination with 302.8 million USD, making up 52.7 percent of the total. Cambodia, Laos, and Canada followed, respectively attracting 89.4 million USD, 47.8 million USD and 32.1 million USD.

As of August 20, Vietnam had 1,428 valid investment projects overseas, the majority of which, 36.3 percent, operated in the mining industry and 15.3 percent in the agro-forestry-fishery sector.

Laos was the largest recipient of Vietnamese investment with 23.8 percent, Cambodia 13.1 percent, and Russia 12.9 percent, the ministry’s Foreign Investment Agency said./.