Hanoi (VNA) – Despite mounting challenges from global conflicts, disrupted supply chains, tariffs and technical barriers in key markets, Vietnam’s agricultural exports have maintained year-on-year growth since the beginning of 2026, supported by businesses’ efforts to adapt and diversify products and markets.
Market diversification drives export growth
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports in August were estimated at 6.47 billion USD, down 3.5% from the previous month but up 3.6% year-on-year.
In the first eight months of 2026, the value reached nearly 49.31 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 7%. Agricultural products generated 25.66 billion USD, up 2.7%; livestock products, 511.9 million USD, up 30%; seafood, 7.94 billion USD, up 10.9%; and wood and forestry products, 12.57 billion USD, up 5.4%. Exports of production inputs, including fertilisers, pesticides and animal feed, surged 64.8% to 2.61 billion USD.
China, the US and Japan remained Vietnam’s three largest export markets, accounting for 22.7%, 19.1% and 6.8%, respectively. Compared with the same period in 2025, Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports to China in the first eight months rose an estimated 22.1%, while those to Japan increased 2%. Exports to the US fell 0.4%.
Dr. Le Thanh Luu, former director of the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 1, now the Vietnam Institute of Fishery Science, told Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) newspaper that although seafood exports have faced difficulties stemming from US tariffs and technical barriers, they have still grown thanks to businesses’ ability to quickly adapt to market requirements, particularly by diversifying products and markets.
Nguyen Van Dien, Deputy Director of the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection, attributed the positive performance of wood and forestry exports to timely direction from the Party and State and policies aimed at helping businesses overcome difficulties and expand markets.
He highlighted the simplification of procedures for value-added tax refunds as an important incentive for enterprises, alongside businesses’ proactive efforts to diversify markets for wood products.
Room for further export growth
To sustain growth and achieve export targets, particularly by increasing value and economic efficiency, the agriculture and environment sector needs to continue promoting trade activities and expanding and diversifying markets and products in the remaining months of 2026.
Vietnam’s agricultural exports have risen steadily in recent years as the country has stepped up negotiations and trade promotion to expand overseas markets. A notable example is its efforts to facilitate official exports of various agricultural products to China.
In mid-August, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, worked with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) to resolve technical issues and strengthen bilateral coordination.
GACC has completed assessments of 736 Vietnamese durian dossiers, covering 487 growing areas and 249 packing facilities. Of these, 401 growing areas and 166 packing facilities met requirements and were approved, representing 82.3% and 66.7% of the assessed dossiers, respectively. A further 283 growing-area codes and 160 packing-facility codes are awaiting GACC review and feedback.
The additional approvals will expand Vietnam’s capacity to export durian to China through official channels, creating more opportunities for localities and businesses to organise production, procurement, packing and exports, particularly as the Central Highlands enters its peak durian harvest.
Improving the quality of agro-forestry-fishery products, traceability and processing, especially deep processing, will also help enhance their competitiveness, value and economic efficiency.
Expanding into markets that meet Halal standards, serving the world’s roughly 2.2 billion Muslims, could not only help Vietnam achieve its 2026 export target but also open substantial room for stronger agricultural export growth in the years ahead./.
VNA
