Vietnam Posts $20.53 Billion Trade Surplus in First 11 Months of 2025
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of $20.53 billion in the first 11 months of 2025, according to data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance on December 6.
During the January–November period, the total value of exports and imports reached $839.75 billion, marking a 17.2% year-on-year increase. Exports rose 16.1%, while imports grew 18.4%.
Export Performance
Vietnam’s export revenue in November stood at $39.07 billion, reflecting a 7.1% month-on-month decline. The domestic sector contributed $8.23 billion (down 4.2%), while the foreign-invested sector—including crude oil—earned $30.84 billion (down 7.8%).
However, compared to November last year, exports rose 15.1%, driven by a 28.8% increase in the foreign-invested sector, despite a 17.5% drop in the domestic sector.
For the first 11 months of 2025, Vietnam’s total exports totaled $430.14 billion, up 16.1% year-on-year. The domestic sector earned $102.41 billion (down 1.7%), accounting for 23.8% of total exports, while the foreign-invested sector generated $327.73 billion (up 23.1%), making up 76.2%.
A total of 36 export items each earned more than $1 billion, representing 94.1% of total exports. Eight of these surpassed $10 billion, accounting for 70.3% of total export earnings.
Export structure during the period was dominated by processed industrial goods, which brought in $381.72 billion (88.7%). Agricultural and forestry products contributed $35.58 billion (8.3%), aquatic products $10.32 billion (2.4%), and fuels and minerals $2.52 billion (0.6%).
Import Trends
Imports in November reached $37.98 billion, down 3.7% from the previous month. The domestic sector accounted for $11.34 billion (down 0.4%), while the foreign-invested sector imported goods worth $26.64 billion (down 5.1%).
Year-on-year, November imports grew 16%, with the foreign-invested sector recording a substantial 31.2% increase, in contrast to an 8.8% decline in the domestic sector.
From January to November, total imports were estimated at $409.61 billion, up 18.4% year-on-year. The domestic sector spent $128.4 billion (up 1.7%), while the foreign-invested sector purchased $281.21 billion (up 28%).
Vietnam had 47 import items exceeding $1 billion in value, representing 93.9% of total imports. Six categories each surpassed $10 billion, accounting for 57.7%.
Capital goods dominated the import structure, valued at $383.96 billion (93.7%). Machinery, equipment, and spare parts constituted 52.7%, while raw materials, fuels and input supplies contributed 41%. Consumer goods amounted to $25.65 billion, or 6.3% of total imports.
Major Trading Partners
China remained Vietnam’s largest import partner with shipments worth $167.5 billion.
During the first 11 months of 2025, Vietnam recorded:
- $35.6 billion trade surplus with the EU, up 10.4%
- $2 billion surplus with Japan, down 29.7%
- $104.3 billion trade deficit with China, up 38.1%
- $28.3 billion deficit with the Republic of Korea, up 1.9%
- $12.4 billion deficit with ASEAN, up 46.3%
The NSO report highlights the continued expansion of Vietnam’s foreign trade, driven largely by the strong performance of the foreign-invested sector despite mixed results in domestic production.
