Vietnam’s economy expanded by 7.4% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, exceeding the 6.1% median estimate from a Bloomberg survey and up from a revised 7.09% growth in the second quarter, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported. The acceleration was driven by robust manufacturing and exports, bolstered by investment inflows as the government attracted foreign tech giants like Samsung Electronics Co and Intel Corp. However, Super Typhoon Yagi in September caused widespread damage estimated at over USD3bn, impacting agricultural output and causing factory activity to contract for the first time in five months. The government acknowledges that achieving its annual GDP growth target of 6.8%-7% will be challenging due to the typhoon’s impact and global economic concerns.