EXPORT GROWTH TARGET OF 15-16% SET FOR 2026
Việt Nam is targeting export growth of around 15-16 per cent in 2026 as it seeks to support economic expansion in the first year of its new five-year socio-economic development phase, a senior trade official has said. Nguyễn Anh Sơn, director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Import-Export Department, said the target was set under a Government resolution outlining key tasks and solutions for implementing the 2026 socio-economic development plan and State budget.
E-COMMERCE TOPS 10% OF RETAIL SALES IN VIETNAM
Vietnam’s e-commerce market reached about US$31 billion in 2025, accounting for roughly 11% of total retail sales of consumer goods and services, crossing the 10% mark for the first time. The figures were released at the 2026 E-commerce Forum held on February 2 by the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
RICE EXPORTS EXPECTED TO REACH 7.73 MILLION TONNES IN 2026
Việt Nam could export an estimated volume of 7.73 million tonnes of rice in 2026, with the bulk of supply coming from the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. In a recent document sent to the Ministry of Industry and Trade as basis for managing rice exports in 2026, the ministry pointed out that the total rice planting area nationwide dropped by around 36,100ha to 7.09 million ha last year.
INDUSTRY AND TRADE SECTOR TARGETS OVER 10% GROWTH IN 2026
At the ministry’s regular press conference for the fourth quarter of 2025, held on January 29, Mai Thu Hiền, deputy head of the Department of Planning and Finance under the MOIT, said Việt Nam’s economic growth last year strengthened quarter by quarter across most sectors. GDP rose by 7 per cent in the first quarter, 8.16 per cent in the second quarter, 8.25 per cent in the third quarter and 8.46 per cent in the fourth quarter.
VĨNH LONG IDENTIFIES NEW GROWTH DRIVERS
Vĩnh Long Province aims for economic growth of 10 per cent this year and per capita income of VNĐ96.62 million (US$3,676). The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province also targets the digital economy to contribute about 8.05 per cent of output, budget revenues of VNĐ22.6 trillion (US$860 million) and total investment of around VNĐ79 trillion ($3 billion).
FOREIGN INVESTORS MAINTAIN STRONG CONFIDENCE IN VIỆT NAM’S MARKET
Looking ahead to 2026, prospects remain bright as manufacturing, economic growth and foreign investment in Việt Nam are expected to stay robust, with the country forecast to post the highest growth rate in the region this year, according to Adam Sitkoff, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Vietnam.
BRIGHT SPOTS IN FDI ATTRACTION
According to data from the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, total registered foreign investment in Vietnam reached US$38.42 billion as of December 31, 2025, up 0.5% year on year. Notably, realized foreign direct investment for the full year was estimated at US$27.62 billion, an increase of 9%, marking the highest level recorded during the 2021-2025 period.
CONSUMER DEALS DRIVE VIETNAM’S M&A REBOUND IN DECEMBER
Vietnam recorded 31 M&A deals in December, with total disclosed and estimated transaction value reaching approximately $1.3 billion, according to Grant Thornton. The firm’s December report showed the consumer sector led the market during the month, ranking first in both deal volume and value, driven largely by transactions aligned with long-term strategic expansion.
