Business News

Việt Nam’s trade activities remained vibrant in the first half of August 2025, with total import-export turnover exceeding US$40.36 billion, according to preliminary data released by the Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance. Following a record-breaking July, which saw trade turnover surpass $80 billion, the momentum continued into August.

Vietnam's supporting industry has made positive strides, driven by a growing number of businesses joining global supply chains. However, the technological capacity of most Vietnamese supporting industry companies still falls short of requirements, limiting their ability to integrate into the global value chains of leading technology firms.

In the first seven months of 2025, Viet Nam shipped 5.5 million tons of rice worth US$2.81 billion, up 3.1 percent in volume, down 15.9 percent in value. The country has introduced a unique rice variety unavailable anywhere else, which has already secured large orders from Japan at premium rates. Domestic enterprises continue to expand exports to Africa, a promising but high-risk market due to slow payments.

The cement industry is showing signs of recovery this year after two years of oversupply and weak domestic demand, driven by accelerated public investment in infrastructure development and lower input costs. According to the Ministry of Construction, the sector recorded strong growth in the first six months of the year, with output reaching 49.8 million tonnes, up 18 per cent, and sales rising 14 per cent to 54 million tonnes.

Việt Nam’s crab and sentinel crab exports have clawed their way to a record high, reaching more than US$173 million in the first half of 2025 — a 38 per cent surge year-on-year and the strongest performance in a decade, according to the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). The sharp growth has been fuelled by soaring demand from China and steady purchasing from Japan, with Việt Nam’s crabs recognised for their quality and ability to meet the rigorous standards of demanding markets.

The mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape in Việt Nam experienced a significant uptick in July, with 34 completed transactions amounting to an impressive total of nearly US$786 million. This surge, reported by independent CPA firm Grant Thornton, highlights a renewed vigour in the market, particularly across key sectors such as real estate, technology, energy, logistics and healthcare.

Arecent report released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance showed that the registered foreign investment in Vietnam totaled US$24.09 billion in the first seven months of 2025, representing a year-on-year growth of 27.3%. Amid global economic volatility, the foreign investment flow in the reporting period is a prominent bright spot.

Trade and tourism activities continued to show positive growth last month, with total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue estimated at VNĐ576.4 trillion (US$21.98 billion), up 1.1 per cent month-on-month and 9.2 per cent year-on-year, according to the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.