Vietnam stands out as one of Emirates SkyCargo’s fastest-growing export markets in Southeast Asia, fueled by robust demand for high-value cargo such as electronics, textiles, and agricultural products, the company stated.
An expert from the University of Economics and Business called the 20% rate “relatively appropriate”, given Vietnam’s considerable trade surplus with the US.
From January 1 to July 15, total trade volume reached 470.65 billion USD, comprising 239.2 billion USD in exports and 231.45 billion USD in imports, racking up a 7.75 billion USD trade surplus.
Exporting enterprises should capitalise on Vietnam’s 17 FTAs covering over 60 countries and territories, along with 70 bilateral cooperation frameworks.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), aquatic product exports reached 3.3 billion USD in the first four months of 2025, a 21% increase compared to the same period last year. Shrimp led the growth with a 30% surge, followed by tra fish (pangasius), which rose by 9%.
Gaining a firm foothold in the domestic market of more than 100 million people is critically important to businesses as the domestic market, which, if properly leveraged, could help offset the decline in export orders.
Vietnam should promote institutional reforms, attract private investment, and diversify export markets to generate higher economic growth and navigate global headwinds to improve its credit rating, experts have said.
The MoIT recommended that businesses take a proactive approach by developing roadmaps and strategies to diversify export markets, improve product quality, and ensure compliance with technical, labour, and environmental standards.
Thanks to efforts to intensify in-depth trade promotion, and maintain and expand export markets, the export turnover of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre hit over 1.2 billion USD in the first three quarters of 2024, up 14.02% year-on-year, and equivalent to 70% of the yearly plan.
Vietnam's fruit export revenue hit 4.63 billion USD in the first eight months of 2024, representing an increase of 30.6% compared to the same period last year, thanks to the opening of several key markets.
The exports of Vietnam’s aquatic product posted positive growth in the first quarter of this year, bringing hope for the entire seafood industry, including processed tuna products.
HortEx Vietnam 2024, the sixth international exhibition and conference for horticultural and floricultural production and processing technology in Vietnam, opened in Ho Chi Minh City on March 13.
The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is seeking measures to promote the sales of tra fish in the domestic and foreign markets amid various difficulties facing the sector recently.
Vietnamese exporters have encountered many challenges due to rising inflation worldwide, the downward trend in commodity prices and the falling demand in many export markets. In such a difficult context, the firms are urged to diversify export markets besides traditional ones, experts have suggested.
Vietnam’s agro-forestry-aquatic product exports raked in 24.59 billion USD in the first six months of 2023, down 11.1% year on year while the country's imports reached 19.96 billion USD, resulting in a trade surplus of 4.63 billion USD, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Vietnam spent over 21.1 billion USD importing mobile phones and components last year, a decrease of 1.6% from 2021, accounting for 5.9% of the country’s total import turnover.
Laos’ total trade value in February was estimated at 962 million USD (excluding electricity export), according to Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Vietnamese exporters need to ensure their capacity and maintain existing export markets, typically Asian and African outlets, amid many challenges in 2023, a senior trade official has said.
Vietnam’s tra fish productivity is currently the highest in the world, but the industry still needs to adopt certain measures to develop in a more sustainable manner.