In April 2025, Vietnam's total import and export turnover reached $74.32 billion, reflecting a slight decrease of 1.4% from the previous month but an impressive increase of 21.3% compared to the same period last year. According to the General Statistics Office's report released on May 6, the cumulative turnover for the first four months of 2025 hit $276.89 billion, marking a 15.7% rise year-on-year. This growth is indicative of Vietnam's robust trade performance despite recent global economic uncertainties.
During this period, Vietnam's export turnover amounted to $140.34 billion, which is a 13% increase year-on-year, while imports reached $136.55 billion, up 18.6% from the previous year. The trade balance showed a surplus of $3.79 billion, demonstrating the country's strong export capabilities.
Breaking down the export data, the domestic economic sector contributed $40.74 billion, reflecting an 18.1% increase year-on-year, and accounted for 29% of the total export value. In contrast, the foreign-invested sector, including crude oil, generated $99.6 billion, up by 11% year-on-year, making up 71% of the export proportion. The commodity structure revealed that processed industrial goods dominated exports, amounting to $123.71 billion, while agricultural and forestry products reached $12.39 billion and seafood exports totaled $3.21 billion.
Notably, Vietnam saw 22 items surpassing the $1 billion mark in export turnover, which accounted for 88.1% of total exports. Among these, seven items exceeded $5 billion, representing 67.1% of the total. Computers, electronics, and components emerged as the largest export category, generating $29.25 billion, a remarkable 36.2% increase year-on-year. Other significant exports included telephones and components at $17.79 billion, despite a slight decrease of 1.9%, and machinery and equipment at $17.08 billion, which saw a 16.1% increase.
Furthermore, footwear exports reached $7.6 billion, marking a 14.5% increase, while wood and wood products contributed $5.38 billion, up 9.7%. The transport sector also performed well, with exports totaling $5.28 billion, a 9.4% increase. In contrast, some sectors experienced declines; for instance, iron and steel exports fell by 23% to $2.49 billion, and gasoline exports plummeted by 49% to just $356 million.
In the agricultural and seafood sectors, coffee exports skyrocketed by 51.8% year-on-year, reaching $3.79 billion, while pepper exports increased by 44.4% to $508 million. However, the export of vegetables and fruits declined by 10.5% to $1.68 billion, with rice exports also down by 13.3% to $1.76 billion.
On the import side, the total turnover for the first four months of 2025 reached $136.55 billion, up 18.6% year-on-year. The domestic economic sector accounted for $51.26 billion of this, reflecting a 21.1% increase, while the foreign-invested sector contributed $85.29 billion, up 17.1%. The structure of imports was heavily weighted towards production materials, which reached $128.17 billion, making up 93.9% of total imports. This included machinery, equipment, and tools, which accounted for 50.6% of imports.
Vietnam imported 25 items valued over $1 billion, representing 84.2% of total imports. Among these, computers, electronics, and components topped the list at $42.8 billion, a 35.4% increase year-on-year, while machinery and equipment accounted for $17.58 billion, a 24.3% increase. Notably, Vietnam spent $3.1 billion on automobile imports, reflecting a significant 39.2% increase.
In terms of trade partners, the United States emerged as Vietnam's largest export market with a turnover of $43.4 billion, while China was the largest source of imports, totaling $53.2 billion. The trade surplus with the United States reached $37.7 billion, a 24.9% increase from the previous year. Conversely, Vietnam faced a trade deficit of $35.1 billion with China, which increased by 44.2% year-on-year.
In addition to trade figures, the macroeconomic situation in Vietnam remains stable. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) averaged a 3.2% increase over the first four months of 2025, while core inflation rose by 3.05%. The total state budget revenue for April 2025 was estimated at 199.9 trillion VND, with a cumulative total of 944.1 trillion VND for the first four months, equating to 48% of the annual estimate and a 26.3% increase compared to the previous year.
The index of industrial production (IIP) also showed positive trends, with an estimated increase of 1.4% from the previous month and an 8.9% rise compared to the same period last year. Foreign direct investment (FDI) saw 1,204 projects licensed with registered capital of $5.59 billion, marking a 14.1% increase in project numbers but a decrease of 23.8% in capital compared to last year.
As Vietnam continues to navigate the complexities of the global economy, officials remain optimistic yet cautious. Trần Văn Sơn, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office, highlighted the need for flexibility and creativity in leadership to achieve strategic goals, ensure macroeconomic stability, and enhance social welfare.
