JBS to invest $100M in Vietnam global expansion

On March 31, Brazilian meatpacker JBS announced a $100 million investment plan to build two factories in Vietnam, aiming to expand its presence in the region and strengthen its position in the global market.

JBS has over 600 operations on five continents, including the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. In the United States, JBS employs over 70,000 people. The new plants in Vietnam will produce beef, pork, and poultry, primarily using raw materials imported from Brazil to supply the Vietnamese market and other Southeast Asian countries. While the investment aligns with Vietnam’s socioeconomic development goals, JBS’s expansion may spark concerns given the controversy over the company’s labor issues, suits, and environmental accusations. 

The project was formalized through a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnamese government, represented by Northern Investment Promotion, Information, and Support Centre and Sao Do Group, which oversees the Nam Dinh Vu Industrial and Non-Tariff Zone in Haiphong. This initiative aligns with Vietnam’s socioeconomic development goals, aiming to boost local production and expand its role in the international meat trade.

Renato Costa, president of Friboi, a JBS subsidiary, noted the company’s commitment to sustainable growth in the region. “The new factories in Vietnam will not just expand our production capacity but represent an investment with a purpose: to create value for the local economy, generate skilled jobs, and contribute to food security across Southeast Asia. We are investing in the future, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and development,” he stated.

The project’s first phase will take place in Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park, where a logistics center will be built with storage capacity and pre-processing, cutting, and packaging operations. The second phase, set to begin two years after the first unit becomes operational, will be located in southern Vietnam and include similar infrastructure, featuring a logistics center and processing plant.

“The partnership between JBS, the Vietnamese government, and our local partners represents a critical strategic step in our geographic diversification. This move not only strengthens our ability to serve the local market but also expands our global presence, creating a robust and sustainable supply chain that positions us even more competitively in the international market,” said Costa. 

With these two factories, JBS expects to create approximately 500 jobs while also launching technical training programs and technology transfers for Vietnamese workers, contributing to the development of the country’s productive sector.