CHINA SURPASSES U.S. AS VIETNAM’S TOP AGRO-FORESTRY-FISHERY PRODUCTS BUYER IN Q1

Workers process fish for export at a local facility – PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH

HCMC – China overtook the United States as Vietnam’s largest market for agro-forestry-fishery products in the first quarter of 2026, as shipments to the northern neighbor surged, data showed.

Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports in January-March reached US$16.69 billion, up 5.9% versus the year-ago period, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

China accounted for 22.1% of the total, surpassing the U.S. at 18.3% and Japan at 7.1% to become the largest buyer of Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products.

Notably, the nation’s exports to China surged 37.6%, the highest growth among major markets, driven by gains across key sectors, including agricultural products, seafood and forestry goods.

Rice recorded the sharpest increase, with export value to China rising 2.5 times as the country stepped up imports to strengthen food security, significantly lifting overall exports in the first quarter.

Coffee also showed strong momentum. While average export prices fell 16.9% overall, shipments to China doubled in value, pointing to rapidly growing demand in the market.

China remained the largest market for fruit and vegetables, accounting for about 54% of exports, with shipments rising 76.2% on strong demand for durian, jackfruit and other tropical fruits.

Seafood exports to China rose 58.5%, while wood and wood products increased 48.5%, partly offsetting weaker demand from the U.S. Other exports also grew, with cashew nuts up 23.7% and cassava and related products rising 15.1%, further strengthening China’s role in Vietnam’s export mix.

Asia remained Vietnam’s biggest buyer, making up 45.1% of total agro-forestry-fishery exports, highlighting a shift toward closer markets with lower logistics costs.

On the import side, agro-forestry-fishery imports totaled US$11.91 billion, up 3.6%.

As a result, the sector maintained a trade surplus of US$4.78 billion, up 12% year-on-year, led by forestry products at US$3.32 billion, seafood at US$1.87 billion and agricultural products at US$1.31 billion.

Source: The Saigon Times

Related News

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

VIỆT NAM-CAMBODIA TRADE GATHERS PACE TOWARDS $20 BILLION TARGET

Trade between Việt Nam and Cambodia continues to grow, remaining a bright spot and a key pillar of bilateral cooperation as the two countries aim to raise two-way trade to US$20 billion in the coming years. After setting a record of more than $11.3 billion last year, bilateral trade reached about $8.7 billion in the first eight months of this year, up 8.3 per cent year on year.

Oct 14, 2026

TECHNOLOGY

AI BEGINNING TO RESHAPE RECRUITMENT CRITERIA

Digital literacy is the only capability area in which fresh graduates meet employers’ expectations, according to a new report. Yet, it is also the standard rising fastest, as businesses increasingly expect new hires to use AI effectively in the workplace. Some 83 per cent of employers say AI has changed, or is beginning to change, their hiring criteria, while 94 per cent report higher expectations for digital and AI capabilities than they had two to three years ago.

Oct 14, 2026

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

ĐÀ NẴNG GREEN-LIGHTS US$105 MILLION THAI DEVELOPMENT DEAL

The central city has approved an investment proposal by Thailand’s WHA Group to develop infrastructure for the 400ha WHA Đà Nẵng Industrial Park project on two communes of Thăng Bình and Đồng Dương, with an investment of more than VNĐ2.7 trillion (US$105 million). The city said it approved WHA Industrial Development International's status as an investor in the project, which is expected to take place between 2027 and 2034.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

MOBILE PHONE EXPORTS RISE 20% TO $51.8 BILLION IN FIRST NINE MONTHS

Exports of mobile phones and components rose 20 per cent year-on-year to nearly US$51.8 billion in the first nine months of 2026, with China, the US and Republic of Korea accounting for more than half of the total. Shipments to the three markets reached a combined $26.18 billion, or 50.6 per cent of total exports of the product group during the period, according to data from the Vietnam Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EXPORTS POISED TO HIT $10 BILLION IN 2026

Fruit and vegetable exports are on track to reach nearly US$10 billion in 2026, after rising 19.9 per cent year on year to nearly US$7.4 billion in the first nine months, driven by strong seasonal demand and abundant tropical fruit supplies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the growth reflected stronger international demand for fresh produce and processed agricultural products.

Oct 14, 2026

GARMENT / TEXTILE

TEXTILE EXPORTS FACE DUAL CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINING ORDERS AND BOOSTING EFFICIENCY AMID GROWING COMPETITION

Data shows that the textile and garment sector maintained its growth momentum in the first nine months of this year. The industry's total export turnover reached an estimated US$35.721 billion in the first nine months of this year, up 3.3 per cent year-on-year. Despite posting encouraging export figures, Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises continue to navigate unpredictable market variables.

Oct 14, 2026