Vietnam’s Hot Streak Builds on Apple Home Hub Bet, Trade Boom

From being hit with punitive tariffs on Liberation Day to being selected by one of the world’s biggest tech companies to build its next generation of smart home devices, Vietnam is having a moment.

Its economy grew more than 8% last quarter, exports are running hot and the country just clinched a long-awaited promotion to emerging-market status from FTSE Russell — a move that could bring billions of dollars in new capital.

Now Apple Inc. is joining the rush, preparing to manufacture its first smart home hubs and even future household robots in the Southeast Asian nation. It’s the clearest ...