Vietnam's exports and imports: what it sells and buys

Vietnam is one of the most trade-driven economies on the planet: more goods pass through its ports and factories than the country's entire GDP. In 2025 its foreign trade turnover topped 930 billion dollars for the first time. Here is a simple guide to what Vietnam sells abroad, what it buys, from whom, and why it's called 'the world's assembly workshop'.

Vietnam — a global trade hub

In 2025 Vietnam's trade turnover grew about 18% and passed 930 billion dollars for the first time — an all-time record. That is more than the country's entire economy: foreign trade matters more to Vietnam than to most nations.

Vietnam is among the world's 20 largest exporters. Dozens of global brands have moved production here — from Samsung and Apple to Nike and Adidas — and today 'Made in Vietnam' shows up on shelves around the world.

What Vietnam exports: electronics come first

The number-one export is electronics. Phones, computers, chips and components make up around 40% of all exports. Smartphones alone (with components) are the single biggest line: in the first half of 2025 they were shipped for almost 36 billion dollars.

Most of this electronics is assembled in factories owned by foreign companies. Samsung, which runs its largest smartphone plants in the world here, single-handedly accounts for a sizeable share of the country's exports.

Not just tech: footwear, clothing, coffee and rice

Vietnam is also a world leader in 'traditional' goods. It is the second-largest footwear exporter on earth (around 27–28 billion dollars a year, roughly 10% of the global market) and the second-largest exporter of clothing and textiles.

It is also the world's second-largest supplier of coffee and rice. Add seafood (over 11 billion dollars), furniture, cashew nuts and pepper, and the country feeds and dresses half the world.

Where Vietnam's goods go

The main buyer is the United States: in 2025 Americans bought around 153 billion dollars' worth of Vietnamese goods. Next come China, the European Union, South Korea and Japan.

That's why ties with the US matter so much to Vietnam: the American market means electronics, furniture, footwear and clothing — and jobs for millions of Vietnamese.

What Vietnam imports

The paradox is that Vietnam's biggest import is also electronics. Chips, displays and components are bought for more than 150 billion dollars a year: they go to local factories to be assembled into finished phones and computers.

Second comes machinery and equipment (a record 60+ billion dollars): tools and production lines for new factories. Then fabrics and materials for the garment industry, plastics, metals and fuel.

Where Vietnam buys from: China, Korea, Taiwan

The top supplier is China: it accounts for about 41% of all imports, over 186 billion dollars. Next come South Korea (around 60 billion) and Taiwan (around 33 billion).

That's no accident: chips, screens and parts come precisely from China, Korea and Taiwan, and Vietnamese factories assemble them into goods for export.

'The world's assembly workshop': how it works

The scheme is simple: Vietnam imports components, assembles them into finished products and exports them at a higher price. The country earns on assembly, labour and its handy location between China and the rest of the world.

This model has a weak spot: Vietnam depends heavily on component supplies from China. So the country is also building its own production — chips, steel, electric cars.

Trade balance: a surplus above 20 billion

Vietnam sells abroad more than it buys. In 2025 its trade surplus topped 20 billion dollars. This inflow of foreign currency strengthens the dong and helps fund development.

The surplus is especially large with the US and the EU, while with China and Korea Vietnam actually runs a deficit — because that's where the expensive components come from.

US tariffs 2025: a new challenge

In summer 2025 the US and Vietnam agreed on new trade rules. Vietnamese goods entering the US face a 20% tariff, while goods merely shipped through Vietnam from third countries (so-called transshipment) face 40%. The initial threat was 46%, so the outcome was seen as a compromise.

In return Vietnam opened its market to American goods almost tariff-free. For Vietnamese factories this is a challenge: they must prove a product is genuinely 'Made in Vietnam' and not just repackaged.

What it means for a visitor to Nha Trang

All this trade is why Vietnam is getting rich so fast, building roads and hotels, and why service here reaches world-class levels. Tourists see the result: modern resorts, easy logistics and affordable prices.

If you're in Nha Trang on business or on holiday and want to congratulate a partner, colleague or loved one, we'll deliver a fresh bouquet or helium balloons to a hotel or office the same day. Message us on WhatsApp, Telegram or KakaoTalk and we'll help you choose a beautiful gift.