Business

Vietnam records biggest trade surplus with Netherlands among European partners

Vietnam’s exports to the Netherlands totalled 13.5 billion USD last year, up 3.7% compared to 2024, while imports stood at 825 million USD, rising 5.2%.

Tra fish is processed for exports. (Photo: VNA)
Tra fish is processed for exports. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Netherlands remained Vietnam’s largest trading partner among the 27 European Union (EU) members for the second consecutive year in 2025, while also being the European market Vietnam posted the biggest trade surplus with, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in the Netherlands.

Bilateral trade reached 14.3 billion USD in 2025, up 3.8% year on year, with Vietnam recording a trade surplus of 12.7 billion USD, the highest among its European markets.

Data from Vietnam Customs show that Vietnam’s exports to the Netherlands totalled 13.5 billion USD last year, up 3.7% compared to 2024, while imports stood at 825 million USD, rising 5.2%. Within ASEAN, Vietnam is currently the largest supplier of goods for the Netherlands.

Agricultural, forestry and fishery products continued to witness strong growth. Cashew nut exports reached 495 million USD, up 22.3%; coffee 373 million USD, up 57.9%; aquatic products 215 million USD, up 8.7%; fruit and vegetables 158 million USD, up 41.3%; pepper 70 million USD, up 9.8%; and rice 10.7 million USD, up 17.4%.

Shipments of timber and wooden products amounted to 104.7 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 32.3%. Footwear, garments, and textile, garment, leather and footwear materials also saw growth of 9.3%, 11.7%, and 2.6%, respectively.

Meanwhile, some manufactured goods experienced only marginal growth or declines. Exports of computers, electronic products and components reached nearly 3.5 billion USD, up 0.4%; phones and components 1.06 billion USD, up 0.4%; while machinery, equipment, and spare parts fell 8.8% to 2.24 billion USD.

Vietnam imported 825 million USD worth of goods from the Netherlands in 2025, up 5.2% year on year. Machinery, equipment, and spare parts accounted for 24.5% of total imports, rising 22.5% compared to 2024. Other key import groups that maintained solid growth included processed food, animal feed and feed materials, pharmaceuticals, and milk and dairy products.

Investment ties between the two countries also saw progress. The Netherlands has, for many years, been the largest EU investor in Vietnam.

As of the end of 2025, Dutch investors had 466 valid projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 14.938 billion USD, ranking ninth among 154 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation. Dutch investment spans multiple sectors, including energy, processing and manufacturing, semiconductor, trade, services, logistics, and warehousing.

In the opposite direction, Vietnam currently has 12 investment projects in the Netherlands with a total registered capital of 107.2 million USD, down 13.9% year on year. The Netherlands ranks 22nd among 85 countries and territories where Vietnam has outbound investment, mainly in construction, trade, food services, software production, and the import and distribution of telecommunications equipment, electronics, automobiles and components, as well as capital contributions to oil and gas projects./.

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