Samsung’s search for Vietnamese suppliers reflects a broader shift in global supply chain dynamics. At the Export Forum 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City, Cha Ji-ho, Deputy General Director of Samsung Vietnam’s Purchasing Center, emphasized that competitive pricing is no longer the sole criterion for supplier selection. The company now demands stable quality, technological adaptability, data-driven operations, and a commitment to sustainable development. This evolution signals a new era where resilience and responsibility weigh as heavily as cost efficiency.

Vietnam has become a focal point in this transformation. Samsung’s cumulative investment in the country has reached 24 billion USD, underscoring its confidence in Vietnam’s role as a manufacturing hub. The company has partnered with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and local authorities to strengthen human resources and build smart factories. These facilities, designed around systematic data management, enhance supplier capacity and enable participation in higher-standard supply chains. Smart factories are not simply about automation; they represent a foundation for long-term competitiveness in a world where transparency and sustainability are increasingly non-negotiable.

The Vietnamese government has set ambitious goals. Resolution 10 of the Politburo envisions more than 10,000 enterprises integrated into global value chains by 2030. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang highlighted that supply chains are now being reorganized around safety, resilience, and sustainability. Vietnam’s 17 free trade agreements, stable investment climate, and strategic location in Southeast Asia make it an attractive destination for multinational corporations seeking diversification.

Other industry leaders echoed this sentiment. Kenneth Tse, General Director of Intel Products Vietnam, noted that the global supply chain has been restructuring rapidly since the pandemic, particularly in high-tech and semiconductors. Vietnam’s young workforce, political stability, and geographic advantages have made it a magnet for supply chain relocation. Intel’s experience illustrates how Vietnam has evolved from a country without a semiconductor ecosystem in 2006 to one where local suppliers are now operating effectively.

In textiles, H&M’s Alen Wei described Vietnam as one of the group’s most important supply markets worldwide, with more than 40 suppliers running over 70 factories and employing 60,000 workers. He stressed that the most competitive nations in the next generation of supply chains will be those that foster sustainable development, renewable energy, and industrial upgrading. Vietnam already possesses many of these advantages, and the challenge lies in leveraging them to shape the next chapter of its industrial growth.

The numbers reinforce this trajectory. Samsung’s four factories in Vietnam reported profits of 2.31 billion USD in the first half of the year, a 23.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Over 17 years, Samsung’s phone production facilities in Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen have achieved cumulative exports of 500 billion USD. These figures demonstrate that Vietnam is not just a low-cost production base but a critical player in global supply chains.

The convergence of corporate investment, government policy, and local capacity building positions Vietnam as a rising hub in the global supply chain restructuring. The question now is whether Vietnamese enterprises can accelerate their transformation fast enough to not only meet new standards but also set them. Could Vietnam become the benchmark for how emerging economies integrate into the next generation of global supply chains?