Business News

Vietnam’s total trade reached US$597.93 billion in the first eight months of 2025, up 16.3 percent year-on-year, reported the National Statistics Office. Specifically, export turnover grew 14.8 percent to US$305.96 billion, while import value rose 17.9 percent to US$291.97 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of US$13.99 billion.

From a formerly war-torn, impoverished, and embargoed country, Vietnam has risen to become one of the world’s Top 20 trading economies. In 2024, total import-export turnover reached US$786 billion, up 15.4% from 2023, with a record trade surplus of US$24.77 billion, demonstrating successful integration and Vietnam’s strengthened position in global trade.

The Vietnamese transport sector has witnessed significant divergence in performance during the first half of 2025, with leading companies reporting robust growth while others, particularly those with ageing fleets, facing declining profits. This trend reflects the broader dynamics of Việt Nam's trade landscape, which has seen a substantial increase in export and import activity.

Việt Nam’s shipping industry is making waves, with three of its major ports docking firmly in the world’s top 50 busiest container ports, according to Dutch maritime consultancy DynaLiners — a sign of the country’s rising tide in global trade. HCM City Port led the Vietnamese trio, ranking 22nd with a throughput of 9.1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2024. 

Cooperation between Việt Nam and China in building 'smart border gates' has become an important highlight in recent years, helping to remove bottlenecks in the flow of goods, especially agricultural products. This is not only a practical step to promote bilateral trade but also demonstrates the determination of both countries to modernise border management, in line with the trend of comprehensive and extensive development.

Vietnam’s outlook for imports, exports, and cargo throughput via seaports is considered favourable in the forthcoming months, as the country faces a 20 per cent reciprocal tariff rate from the United States, significantly lower than China’s 55 per cent and India’s 25 per cent, and on par with Bangladesh. At the same time, Vietnamese exporters are effectively leveraging preferential tariffs through the country’s extensive network of free trade agreements, allowing for more flexible and efficient operations.

According to the World Bank (WB), transport activities in Vietnam emit an average of more than 50 million metric tons of CO2 annually, with road transport accounting for 85%. Green logistics is becoming an essential trend as businesses must optimize efficiency and reduce their environmental impact in the context of globalization and climate change.

The real estate market across Việt Nam witnessed a notable surge in activity in July 2025, driven by investor psychology ahead of the Ghost Month and the positive effects from a series of major infrastructure projects launched in celebration of the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2). In Việt Nam and several other Asian countries, the 'Ghost Month', the seventh lunar month, is believed to be a period of bad luck and inauspicious for buying major items such as cars and houses.