Vietnam s trade turnover surpasses 1 trillion for the first time
Vietnam s merchandise trade has crossed the trillion dollar mark for the first time with imports growing faster than exports and pushing the country into a trade deficit
Vietnam's total merchandise trade turnover surpassed $1 trillion for the first time in the first 10 months of 2026, according to data from the National Statistics Office. The surge in trade was driven by a 32.3% increase on-year in exports, totaling $499.24 billion, and a more substantial 37.4% rise in imports, reaching $511.3 billion.
This resulted in a merchandise trade deficit of $12.07 billion, a shift from a surplus of around $19.5 billion the previous year. October saw a new high for total merchandise trade at $122 billion, a 3.7% increase from the prior month and a significant 47.4% year-on-year growth. Exports in October totaled $64.67 billion, up 8.7% month-on-month, while imports were $57.36 billion, down 1.4% from the previous period.
Vietnam recorded trade surpluses with the European Union and Japan, both up by double-digit percentages, while it faced sizable trade deficits with China, the Republic of Korea, and ASEAN. The domestic economic sector was responsible for $93.9 billion in exports and $131.76 billion in imports, while the foreign-invested sector contributed $405.3 billion in exports and $379.55 billion in imports.
Major trading partners for Vietnam included the United States and China, with the former being the largest export market and the latter the biggest import market.
Written by urgent.news from Vietnam Investment Review's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
