Vietnam's total import-export turnover in the first half of January 2026 reached approximately $39.34 billion, an increase of 14.64% (equivalent to $5.02 billion) compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary reports from the Vietnam Customs.
On the export side, the total turnover in the period hit $18.05 billion, up 11.1% over the first half of January 2025. This growth was mainly driven by the processing and manufacturing sector, especially high-tech industries linked to global supply chains such as electronics, telephones, and machinery.
However, the majority of export demand for high-tech industries, including electronics, computers, and components, originated from the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) sector rather than domestic enterprises.
Specifically, the total export value of the FDI sector in the first half of January 2026 reached $14.03 billion, surging by 24.36% compared to the same period in 2025.
Regarding imports, the total value for the period reached $21.29 billion, an increase of 17.81% (equivalent to $3.22 billion) year-on-year. Growth continued to be driven by demand for high-tech goods such as computers, electronic products, and components, as well as machinery, equipment, and spare parts to serve domestic production and assembly.
Similar to the export trend, the FDI sector accounted for a major proportion of the country's total import value, reaching $15.31 billion. This represents about 72% of the national total and a 34.5% increase compared to the same period last year, marking an absolute increase of nearly $4 billion. This reality indicates that FDI production activities continue to expand, leading to a high demand for imported components, machinery, equipment, and raw materials.
However, this data also reflects the current structure of Vietnam's value chain, where FDI enterprises hold a central role in technology- and capital-intensive stages, while domestic firms primarily participate in processing, assembly, and ancillary supply with low added value.
Notably, while import growth came primarily from the FDI sector, imports from the domestic economic sector actually decreased by $706.96 million in the first half of January 2026.
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