VIỆT NAM’S AGRICULTURE POSTS STEADY 8-MONTH GROWTH DESPITE SOME EXPORT HURDLES
Việt Nam’s agriculture sector is cultivating a strong performance in 2025, with export turnover for the first eight months estimated at US$45.37 billion, up 12 per cent year-on-year, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phùng Đức Tiến reported. The trade surplus reached $13.07 billion, marking a 10 per cent increase.
CASHEW EXPORTS TO CHINA SURGE, OVERTAKING THE US AS VIỆT NAM’S TOP MARKET
China has overtaken the US to become Việt Nam's largest cashew export market, driven by the neighbouring country's recovering demand, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Statistics show that Việt Nam exported 96,000 tonnes of cashews worth US$608 million to China in the first seven months of 2025, up 29 per cent in volume and 47 per cent in value from a year earlier.
VIETNAM'S MANUFACTURING OUTPUT CONTINUES TO CLIMB IN AUGUST
According to an S&P Global report released on September 3, the Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) remained above the 50-point no-change mark in August and signalled a second consecutive monthly improvement in the manufacturing sector. That said, at 50.4 points, the PMI was down from 52.4 points in July and registered only a marginal strengthening in business conditions.
VIỆT NAM’S COFFEE INDUSTRY SPOTS OPPORTUNITY AMID RISING GLOBAL PRICES
As global coffee prices surge, Việt Nam's coffee industry is presented with a significant opportunity to expand its export market share, industry insiders say. A recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organization noted that coffee prices rose globally by around 40 per cent in 2024, largely due to unfavourable weather conditions caused by climate change.
HCMC AIMS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH OF OVER 10% IN LAST FIVE MONTHS OF 2025
Ho Chi Minh City is targeting economic growth of 10.3% in the last five months of this year to lift its full-year gross regional domestic product (GRDP) to at least 8.5%, in line with its newly issued plan to accelerate socio-economic development. The city posted growth of 6.56% in the first half of the year, or 7.49% excluding crude oil.
DAIRY MARKET REMAINS RIPE FOR NEW EXPANSION
According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MoAE), Vietnam spent more than $1 billion on importing milk and dairy products in 2024, mostly powdered milk. In the first seven months of 2025 alone, Vietnam spent nearly $2.6 billion importing livestock products, with milk and dairy products accounting for more than $860 million.
VIETNAM’S SHRIMP EXPORTS IN FIRST 7 MONTHS: ACCELERATING IN ASIA, FACING HEAVY PRESSURE FROM THE US
Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the US – the second largest market after China – are under heavy pressure from taxation policies, causing orders from exporters to stagnate. Compared to rivals such as Ecuador (import tariff only 15%) or Indonesia and the Philippines (19%), Vietnam is gradually losing competitiveness with a 20% countervailing duty.
VIETNAM ATTRACTS HIGHER-QUALITY FDI WITH RISING US, EUROPEAN CAPITAL FLOWS
A highlight in recent days was ExxonMobil’s survey in South Van Phong in south central Khanh Hoa province. The US energy giant is considering a 10-billion-USD investment in a modern refinery project, which, if implemented, will be among its first near-zero emission facilities. The company plans to complete surveys by 2027, begin construction and investment procedures in 2031, and launch operations in 2035.
