At a press conference on July 3, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) stated that in the first half of 2025, the agriculture sector has shown positive signs of growth with export activities achieving impressive results.

Accordingly, export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products in June reached $5.93 billion, an increase of 5.3 per cent compared to the same period of 2024. This figure brings the export turnover in the first half of 2025 to $33.84 billion, up 15.5 per cent year on year. 

Major export product groups showed robust growth in the first half of 2025 with agricultural products accounted for $18.46 billion (up 17.8 per cent), fishery products $5.16 billion (up 16.9 per cent), forestry products $8.82 billion (up 9.3 per cent) and livestock products $264.4 million (up 10.1 per cent). Notably, the export value of production input materials rose by 23.6 per cent to reach $1.13 billion, while salt exports saw a sharp increase, surging 2.4 times to $5.7 million.

In terms of export market, Asia currently leads with 42 per cent of total turnover, followed by the Americas with 23.5 per cent and Europe 15.6 per cent. Compared to the same period of 2024, export turnover to Europe grew by 46,3 per cent, to Africa by 99.5 per cent and the Americas by 18.7 per cent. 

The US (21.1 per cent of market share), China (17.6 per cent), and Japan (7.2 per cent) were the three largest export markets for Vietnam's agricultural, forestry and fishery products. Export value to the U.S. increased by 16 per cent, to Japan by 25.5 per cent, while that to China saw a slight decline of 0.7 per cent due to rising competition.

In terms of structure, several key commodities recorded strong growth. Accordingly, coffee exports reached 953,900 tons, valued at $5.45 billion - up 5.3 per cent in volume and 67.5 per cent in value year-on-year, with average export price rising sharply to $5,708.3 per ton, a 59.1 per cent increase, driven by strong demand from major markets including Germany (up 2.2 times), Italy (up 45.1 per cent), and Spain (up 55.8 per cent).

Rubber exports though declined 6.5 per cent in volume to 680,100 tons but increased 14.4 per cent in value to $1.27 billion, thanks to a 22.4 per cent rise in average export prices, now at $1,864.7 per ton.

Cashew nuts saw a 2.7 per cent decrease in export volume  to 346,800 tons, but a 20.4 per cent increase in value to $2.36 billion, as the average price increased by 23.8 per cent to $6,805.4 per ton. 

Seafood exports also performed strongly, generating $5.16 billion in the first half of the year, up 16.9 per cent over the same period in 2024.

Meanwhile, agricultural imports rose 15.1 per cent year-on-year to $24.01 billion. Of this, $14.86 billion was spent on crop products (up 16.4 per cent), $1.61 billion on seafood (up 33.4 per cent), and $2.11 billion on livestock products (up 21.5 per cent).

Asia and the Americas remained Vietnam’s largest import sources, accounting for 31.4 per cent and 24.7 per cent, respectively. Imports from China and the US each accounted for 8.9 per cent, increasing by 9.1 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively. Cambodia also saw a sharp rise in exports to Vietnam, up 48 per cent to claim 8.6 per cent of total market share.

The robust growth in exports, particularly to Europe (up 46.3 per cent) and Africa (up 99.5 per cent) highlights Vietnam’s potential to expand its agricultural footprint globally.

However, the continued reliance on a major market and declining value in categories such as fruits, vegetables, and tea underscore an urgency of diversifying markets. Strengthening disease control, improving product quality, and investing in technology will be critical for sustaining momentum in the second half of 2025.