Son La has focused on planning and investing in infrastructure for industrial zones and clusters, while attracting manufacturing projects, especially in renewable energy and agricultural processing. The province currently has three large hydropower plants (Son La, Nam Chien I and Huoi Quang) with a total capacity of 3,120 MW; 57 small hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 670.05 MW; two industrial zones (Mai Son and Van Ho), two industrial clusters (Moc Chau and Gia Phu); 34 industrial-scale agricultural processing facilities and about 1,000 small-scale industrial and handicraft production establishments.

Since the beginning of the year, the province’s industrial production index has increased by 9.5% year-on-year. Several products recorded notable growth. For example, cement rose 14.9%, electricity production 10.6%, construction stone 5.2%, UHT fresh milk 4%, and commercial tap water 3.2%. This indicates that the province’s industrial production is on a path of recovery and breakthrough.

In the first six months, total retail sales of goods in the province were estimated at 20.2 trillion VND (772.84 million USD), up 12.5% year-on-year. Export value reached approximately 112.2 million USD, with agricultural products increasing by 10.5%. Major export items included cement, clinker, coffee, tea, cassava-based products, sugar, banana, and mango.

Ha Nhu Hue, Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, stated that the industry sector has rationally regulated and managed water resources, effectively operated hydropower plants to ensure power supply for electricity generation and agricultural production, stabilised electricity supply, and boosted agricultural product processing. Enterprises and industrial establishments continued to expand scale, improve technology, enhance productivity and product quality, and protect the environment.

The department also worked to update market information, assist businesses in proactively producing, distributing, and clearing goods; organised livestreams to sell plums, mangoes, and agricultural products from Phieng Khoai commune; and promoted Son La’s products on e-commerce platforms. At the same time, administrative reforms were accelerated to facilitate business development.

With a synchronised set of solutions, in the first half of the year, the industry and construction sector contributed about 4.26 trillion VND, up 11.83%, and adding 2.97 percentage points to the province’s GRDP growth. These results showed a recovering market and clearly improved production capacity of local enterprises.

Looking ahead, although the global economy continues to recover, it still faces many risks due to geopolitical conflicts, financial market fluctuations, and climate change. Increasingly strict technical and environmental standards in major markets also put pressure on domestic products.

The industry and trade sector is closely coordinating with relevant agencies and advising the provincial People's Committee on synchronously implementing solutions to achieve the goals for 2025, including a 1% increase in the industrial production index, total retail sales of 39.5 trillion VND, and an export turnover of 215 million USD, up 8.6% year-on-year.

It is actively inspecting and monitoring business activities to promptly resolve difficulties, boost production and consumption, especially for products with potential for output growth to compensate for losses. At the same time, there is a focus on developing agricultural product processing industries, closely monitoring market prices, and ensuring supply-demand balance and price stability when necessary.

Additionally, the province is concentrating on supporting investors to implement projects on schedule. In 2025, Son La aims to put into operation the Moc Chau High-Tech Dairy Factory (Phase 1), Vinatea Tea Processing Plant, BHL Son La Modified Starch Factory, and Mavin Mai Son Feed and Agricultural Product Processing Complex. Efforts are also being made to enhance the management, investment, and operation of small and medium hydropower plants; and to review and adjust the electricity supply network to ensure their consistency and synchronisation in scale and capacity with the provincial planning.

With a comprehensive approach, the strong engagement of the political system, and efforts from businesses, Son La’s industry sector is undergoing a robust transformation towards higher productivity, quality, efficiency, and competitiveness, contributing significantly to the province's goal of achieving a GRDP growth rate of 8% or higher in 2025.