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Vietnam’s securities regulator has confirmed foreign ownership limits for two major state-controlled oil and gas companies, leaving significant room for overseas investors to increase holdings in both firms.

The State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) on Tuesday issued notices regarding foreign ownership caps at oilfield services provider PV Drilling (HoSE: VPD), a subsidiary of state-owned Petrovietnam, and shipping major PetroVietnam Transportation Corporation (PVTrans, HoSE: PVT).

According to a document released by PV Drilling, the SSC confirmed that the company’s maximum foreign ownership ratio remains at 50%.

As of the close of trading Tuesday, foreign investors held 8.49% of PV Drilling’s outstanding shares. The confirmation means overseas investors can still acquire an additional 41.51% stake in the company, equivalent to approximately 225.4 million shares.

Separately, PVTrans disclosed that it had received a similar notice from the SSC confirming a maximum foreign ownership limit of 49%.

Foreign investors currently own 13.42% of PVTrans. This leaves 35.58% foreign ownership capacity available, equivalent to roughly 167.2 million shares that overseas investors may still purchase.

The regulator said organizations and individuals involved in preparing the ownership review dossiers remain responsible for the accuracy of the information and compliance with applicable regulations.

PVTrans operates one of Vietnam’s largest fleets of crude oil, petroleum product, chemical, and liquefied gas tankers and plays a key role in the logistics chain of Petrovietnam.

In 2025, it recorded consolidated revenue of VND16 trillion ($607.3 million), up 30% year-on-year and beating the target by 7%. It booked pre-tax profit of VND1.55 trillion ($58.83 million) last year, surpassing the goal by 29%.

PV Drilling is one of Vietnam’s largest offshore drilling contractors, providing drilling rigs and technical services to domestic and international oil and gas operators.

The firm posted consolidated revenue of 10.5 trillion ($399.2 million), pre-tax profit of VND1.1 trillion ($41.83 million), and net profit of VND830 billion ($31.56 million) in 2025, far exceeding the year's targets.

Vietnamese shrimp continues to face fierce competition from Ecuador, India, and Indonesia, while US trade defense measures, including anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties along with administrative reviews, also pose ongoing challenges for this sector.

Vietnam's seafood exports in May 2026 reached $1.02 billion, a slight increase of 0.6% compared to the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

For the first five months of the year, the industry's total export turnover hit $4.67 billion, marking an 11% increase over the same period in 2025.

Shrimp remains the flagship export product, generating $1.9 billion in the first five months—an 11.5% increase that accounts for approximately 40.4% of total seafood export value. The growth in the shrimp sector has been driven by recovering demand in several Asian markets, a rise in the consumption of processed products, and increased lobster exports to China.

However, a significant issue currently facing the industry is the mismatch between domestic production and import demand. Many localities are trending toward farming large-sized shrimp to optimize product value, whereas demand in several major markets is shifting toward smaller sizes to serve budget-conscious consumer segments.

Furthermore, Vietnamese shrimp continues to face fierce competition from Ecuador, India, and Indonesia. US trade defense measures, including anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties along with administrative reviews, also pose ongoing challenges for this sector.

VASEP also reported that pangasius exports in the first five months reached $905 million, up 12.6% year-on-year. This industry is considered to have a favorable foundation due to its stable supply, competitive pricing, and consumer demand that aligns with global "saving" trends.

Pangasius maintains significant growth potential in China, ASEAN, the Middle East, the European Union (EU), and several emerging markets. As global consumers continue to prioritize reasonably priced products, pangasius is well-positioned to maintain its status within the whitefish category.

Despite these opportunities, the pangasius industry is under increasing pressure from rising production costs. The price of fingerlings has remained high since 2025, and increases in feed, transportation, and other input costs have made farmers more cautious about expanding their farming areas. If this trend persists, rising farming costs could continue to drive up raw material prices, ultimately squeezing the profit margins of export processing enterprises.

The figure representing a year-on-year rise of 25%.

Vietnam’s total trade turnover reached $445.12 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 25% from a year earlier, according to data released by the National Statistics Office on June 3.

Exports rose 19.5% year-on-year to $215.66 billion, while imports jumped 30.8% to $229.46 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $13.8 billion. In the same period last year, the country recorded a trade surplus of $5.1 billion.

In May alone, total import-export turnover amounted to $99.07 billion, up 3.2% from April and 25.8% higher than a year earlier. Exports reached $46.93 billion, increasing 2.1% month-on-month, while imports climbed 4.3% to $52.14 billion, creating a monthly trade deficit of $5.21 billion.

The foreign-invested sector continued to dominate Vietnam’s export performance, accounting for nearly 80% of total exports with shipments worth $172.16 billion, up 24.7% year-on-year.

Processed industrial goods remained the country’s largest export category, generating $193.71 billion and representing 89.8% of total exports. Agricultural and forestry products contributed $15.79 billion, while seafood exports reached $4.67 billion.

The US remained Vietnam’s largest export market, with turnover of $69.6 billion, while China was the country’s biggest source of imports at $92.6 billion.