Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam collected 70.085 trillion VND (2.66 billion USD) in state budget revenue from import – export activities in the first two months of 2026, fulfilling 15.5% of the annual target and marking a 12.3% increase from the same period last year, according to the Customs Department of Vietnam.
Revenue in February alone reached an estimated 28.696 trillion VND, representing a 30.7% decline compared with January.
Total foreign trade turnover in February was valued at 67.19 billion USD, down 23.8% month-on-month. Export value stood at 33.09 billion USD, a decrease of 23.4%, while imports were estimated at 34.1 billion USD, down 24.2%.
For the first two months of the year, trade value totalled 155.73 billion USD, up 22.3% year-on-year, equivalent to an increase of 28.36 billion USD. Exports rose 18.3% to 76.39 billion USD while imports climbed 26.3% to 79.34 billion USD.
Foreign-invested enterprises made up 117.1 billion USD of the total trade turnover during the period, surging 35.9% from the same period in 2025.
At the same time, authorities reported that smuggling, trade fraud and illegal cross-border transport of goods remain complex. Recent cases mainly involve narcotics, firecrackers and frozen food products that fail to meet safety standards along northern border routes with China and central border areas with Laos.
Sea routes accounted for the largest share of violations, with 1,006 out of 1,787 detected cases, or 56.3% of the total, an increase of 479 cases, or 90.9%, compared with the same period last year. Land routes recorded an increase of 61.3%, or 200 cases, mostly along the Vietnam – China and Vietnam – Cambodia borders.
Violations on air routes also increased by 32 cases year-on-year, with the value of confiscated goods estimated at 28.8 billion VND. Most cases were detected at major international airports including Noi Bai International Airport, Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Da Nang International Airport. Authorities also uncovered drug trafficking cases on transit flights via Qatar involving passengers arriving from Thailand or travelling from Vietnam to New Zealand and Australia.
The customs authority said it will intensify monitoring of revenue sources, tighten control over customs valuation, origin and tax policies, and strengthen risk analysis to prevent tax evasion and revenue losses.
It also plans to expand post-clearance inspections and enterprise audits, particularly in cases suspected of tax declaration irregularities, transfer pricing or misuse of preferential tariff policies. In addition, the agency will step up coordination with police, border guard and coast guard forces to crack down on smuggling and trade fraud, and strictly handle violations of customs and tax regulations./.
