Export growth signals bright outlook

Trade surplus reached 1.81 billion USD

According to the latest preliminary statistics of the Customs Department (Ministry of Finance), the total value of Vietnam's import and export of goods in the first half of March 2025 reached 35.66 billion USD. Thus, this result brings the total value of the country's import and export from the beginning of the year to the end of March 15 to 162.78 billion USD, an increase of 12%, equivalent to an increase of 17.46 billion USD in absolute terms compared to the same period last year.

According to statistics from the Customs Department, in the first half of March, the trade balance of goods had a surplus of 307 million USD. From the beginning of the year to March 15, 2025, the trade balance of goods had a surplus of 1.81 billion USD.

Notably, the Customs Department said that the total value of Vietnam's export goods in the first half of March reached 17.98 billion USD. Accumulated to March 15, 2025 , the total export value of Vietnam reached 82.29 billion USD, an increase of 6.3%, equivalent to an increase of 1.07 billion USD compared to the same period last year.

In addition, statistics from the Customs Department also show that the export value of goods of foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises in the first half of March reached 12.79 billion USD. As of March 15, the total export value of goods of this group of enterprises reached 58.93 billion USD, up 8.2%, equivalent to an increase of 4.45 billion USD compared to the same period last year, accounting for 71.6% of the total export value of the country.

Many key products increased sharply

Statistics show that in the first half of March, export value increased sharply in key commodity groups such as computers, electronic products and components, up 27.7% (equivalent to an increase of 878 million USD); phones of all kinds and components decreased by 137 million USD, an increase of 6.3%; wood and wood products increased by 77 million USD, an increase of 12.4%...

High coffee prices bring in large export revenue

In addition, from the beginning of the year to mid-March, the commodity groups with high growth rates were computers, electronic products and components, up 3.75 billion USD, equivalent to an increase of 29.2%; coffee, up 675 million USD, equivalent to an increase of 42%; textiles and garments, up 603 million USD, equivalent to an increase of 9.4%... compared to the same period.

For example, coffee exports are continuously growing and are expected to reach a record of 8 billion USD. From the beginning of the year to March 15, Vietnam exported 406,637 tons of coffee, with a turnover of 2.28 billion USD, down 18% in volume but up 41% in value compared to the same period in 2024. Of which, Germany is the largest market, with 278 million USD (up 79%); Italy is second with 171 million USD (up 31%); followed by Japan: 127 million USD (up 56%); the United States: 120 million USD (up 53%); Spain: 117 million USD (up 29%)... Explaining the reason for the sharp increase in coffee export turnover, the Vietnam Coffee - Cocoa Association said that it was due to a 73% increase in prices, from 3,228 USD/ton in the first quarter of 2024 to 5,614 USD/ton in the first quarter of 2025. If in the period 2010-2023, the average export price of coffee in our country usually fluctuated around 2,000 USD/ton, then from the beginning of 2024 until now, it has continuously "overcome the slope", even increasing "vertically" at times.

According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai - Chairman of the Vietnam Coffee - Cocoa Association, Vietnamese coffee is facing many great export opportunities. The coffee industry is focusing on improving quality, developing specialty coffee lines, and applying technology to help increase the added value of export products and build the national coffee brand. With these steps, the export of this key product promises to reach a "huge" number in the near future.

In addition, the export turnover recorded a huge contribution from the textile and garment industry - one of the four industries with the largest export turnover in the country, accounting for more than 10% of the total export turnover. It is estimated that in the first quarter of 2025, the textile and garment industry will export 12.5-12.7 billion USD. In March, Vietnam's textile and garment exports could reach over 4 billion USD. In the first 6 months of the year, it is forecasted that Vietnam's textile and garment exports will reach the target of over 22 billion USD. Up to now, most businesses have signed orders for the second quarter and started negotiating orders until the end of 2025. "Despite facing many difficulties from US tariffs and the global trade war, textile and garment exports will continue to grow positively, possibly reaching about 48 billion USD in 2025," Mr. Vu Duc Giang - Chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) emphasized to VTV Times reporter.

Import many machines to serve production

One of the notable points in the import-export picture since the beginning of the year is the strong growth of imported machinery. The total value of imported goods as of March 15 reached 80.49 billion USD, up 15.2% (equivalent to an increase of 10.61 billion USD) compared to the same period last year.

Of which, some commodity groups increased sharply such as computers, electronic products and components increased by 5.85 billion USD, equivalent to an increase of 29.3%; machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts increased by 1.68 billion USD, equivalent to an increase of 20% over the same period.

Thus, imported goods increased mainly in the group of goods serving production and export. "The sharp increase in imports in the group of goods that need to be imported such as machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts and raw materials serving domestic production is a positive signal for the economy. In the context of high domestic production and consumption, the demand for imported "inputs" increased sharply to serve newly signed orders, Mr. Tran Thanh Hai - Deputy Director of the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) assessed.

According to Mr. Hai, the industry and trade sector is currently focusing on promoting export activities, seeking new markets, making the most of incentives from FTAs ​​such as CPTPP, EVFTA, RCEP, etc.; speeding up negotiations, signing new FTAs ​​and economic linkages to diversify markets and boost exports. With these strategies, Vietnam's exports have more motivation and springboard to achieve even higher growth in the coming time./.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/xuat-khau-tang-truong-bao-hieu-trien-vong-tuoi-sang-3351246.html