Vietnam posts nearly $14 bln trade surplus in 8 months
Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of $13.99 billion in the first eight months of 2025, according to the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.

Catfish fillets are one of Vietnam's biggest export earners. Photo courtesy of Agifish.
During the January-August period, the country’s total trade value reached $597.93 billion, up 16.3% year on year. Exports rose 14.8% to $305.96 billion, while imports climbed 17.9% to $291.97 billion.
In August alone, export turnover hit $43.39 billion, an increase of 2.6% from July and 14.5% from the same period last year. Of the value, the foreign-invested sector, including crude oil, continued to dominate, with $34.22 billion, while the domestic sector contributed $9.16 billion.
For the eight-month period, the foreign-invested sector, including crude oil, brought in $229.27 billion, up 19.3% and representing nearly 75% of total exports. The domestic sector contributed $76.69 billion, up 3.2%.
Key drivers included manufactured and processed goods, which generated $271.06 billion, or almost 89% of total exports. Agricultural and forestry products earned $25.92 billion, while seafood brought in $7.15 billion. Fuel and mineral exports stood at $1.83 billion.
Notably, 29 export items surpassed the $1-billion mark, accounting for over 92% of total export turnover. Of these, seven products, such as phones, electronics, and garments, each exceeded $10 billion.
Imports in August were estimated at $39.67 billion, down 0.8% from July.
In the eight months, 38 import items exceeded $1 billion in value, including two categories – computers/electronic products and machinery – each topping $10 billion.
Vietnam spent $273.91 billion on production materials, making up 94% of total imports. Machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts accounted for 52.2%, while raw and intermediate materials represented 41.6%. Consumer goods imports reached $18.06 billion, or just over 6% of the total.
The U.S. remained Vietnam’s largest export market, with shipments valued at $99.1 billion. Meanwhile, China continued to be the biggest source of imports at $117.9 billion.
Vietnam posted a trade surplus of $87 billion with the U.S., up 26.8% year on year, and $25.6 billion with the EU, up 10%.
The country also recorded a $1.5-billion surplus with Japan. On the other hand, it ran a trade deficit of $75.9 billion with China, $20.1 billion with South Korea, and $9.4 billion with ASEAN countries.
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