Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s exports continued to grow strongly in the first five months of 2025, with processed industrial goods as the main driver, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Exports maintain double-digit growth
In the context of rising global uncertainty, trade conflict and increasing protectionism, Vietnam's foreign trade maintained impressive momentum. In the first five months, the country’s total export revenue reached 180.23 billion USD, up 14% year-on-year, while imports stood at 175.56 billion USD, resulting in a trade surplus of 4.67 billion USD.
Processed industrial goods brought in nearly 153 billion USD, up 14.5% compared to the same period last year. This group continued to serve as the backbone of national export growth, with key items such as textiles, footwear, computers, electronics and machinery recording strong increases.
Computers and electronic products alone earned 38.4 billion USD, up 39.7%; machinery and equipment brought in 22 billion USD, rising 16.4%; and wood products fetched an estimated 6.8 billion USD, up 8.6%. Overall, 25 exports posted expert revenue of over 1 billion USD, accounting for 90% of total export turnover, including seven exceeding 5 billion USD.
Agricultural and aquatic exports also maintained robust performance, estimated at nearly 17.7 billion USD, up 15.8% year-on-year. Many commodities in this group recorded notable growth despite falling volumes, thanks to strong price increases. For instance, coffee exports dropped 0.6% in volume but rose 62.3% in value, pepper down 22.5% in volume but up 40.5% in value, and cashew kernels fell 5% in volume but surged 19.4% in earnings.
Diversifying markets, minimising risks
Exports to most major markets grew positively. The United States remained Vietnam’s largest export market with turnover reaching 57.2 billion USD. The EU followed with 23 billion USD, up 12% year-on-year, and China came next with 23.5 billion USD and 3.2%. Shipments to the Republic of Korea and Japan reached 11.37 billion USD and 10.56 billion USD respectively, both growing over 10%.
Meanwhile, Vietnam spent 175.56 billion USD on imports in the first five months, up 17.5% from a year earlier.
Notably, imports of production-related goods such as machinery, equipment, and raw materials reached nearly 156.5 billion USD, and accounted for 89% of the total value in the five-month period, up 17.8% year on year.
Imports of computers, electronics and components rose 38.3% to 56 billion USD, while machinery and equipment imports reached 22.89 billion USD, up 22.7%. Other materials such as plastic resins, fabrics, and inputs for textiles and footwear also increased to support domestic production and export demand.
The foreign-invested sector posted a trade surplus of 17.09 billion USD, while the domestic sector ran a deficit of 12.42 billion USD. In the same period last year, the country had a higher trade surplus of 8.71 billion USD.
To sustain growth in the face of global market fluctuations, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said it is prioritising negotiations with the United States towards a sustainable trade agreement, resolving issues such as reciprocal tariffs, and expanding the use of free trade agreements to diversify markets and boost exports.
The ministry is also stepping up market information efforts to help industry associations and enterprises adjust their production plans and explore new markets in a timely manner.
Vietnamese trade officials urged businesses to raise domestic competitiveness, improve resilience, and diversify supply chains to reduce dependency on any single source of raw materials or intermediate goods.
They also encouraged companies to expand into niche markets through new-generation FTAs and to stimulate domestic demand through consumption-driven policies.
Efforts are also underway to accelerate the signing of new FTAs to access untapped potential markets, with Canada cited as a promising example./.
