Both exports and imports continued to expand at a robust pace. Exports generated $215.66 billion—up by 19.5 per cent YoY, while imports rose by 30.8 per cent YoY to $229.46 billion.
Vietnam’s merchandise foreign trade saw impressive growth in January-May 2026, with total turnover rising by 25 per cent YoY to over $445 billion.
Exports generated $215.66 billion—up by 19.5 per cent YoY, while imports rose by 30.8 per cent YoY to $229.46 billion.
In May, foreign trade turnover exceeded $99 billion for the first time.
The country targets export growth of 15-16 per cent YoY this year.
The faster rise in imports in recent months led to a trade deficit of nearly $14 billion in the five months compared with a surplus of over $5 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year.
In May, foreign trade turnover exceeded $99 billion for the first time.
A key trait was the dominance of the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector in exports during the five-month period.
Domestic enterprises earned $43.5 billion from exports, rising by only 2.5 per cent YoY and accounting for 20.2 per cent of total export revenue. The FDI sector, including crude oil exports, generated $172.16 billion, rising by 24.7 per cent YoY and contributing 79.8 per cent of the country’s overseas shipments.
Traditional labour-intensive sectors, including textiles, footwear, wood and wood products, continued to record trade surpluses, but posted modest growth due to slow demand recovery and higher logistics and insurance costs. Their export values rose by just 0.4 per cent, 0.2 per cent and 2.9 per cent YoY respectively, a domestic news agency reported.
Vietnam’s major export markets all recorded double-digit growth. Exports to the United States, the largest market, reached $69.6 billion during the five months—up by 21.6 per cent YoY.
Shipments to the European Union rose by 13.2 per cent YoY to $26 billion, while the export value hit $30.1 billion for China—up by 28.2 per cent YoY.
Exports to South Korea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Japan climbed by 14.7 per cent, 16.9 per cent and 14.2 per cent YoY respectively.
The country targets export growth of 15-16 per cent YoY this year.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
