Agro-forestry-aquatic product exports increase over 13% in first quarter

Vietnam earned 15.72 billion USD in agro-forestry-aquatic product exports during Q1 2025, up 13.1% year on year. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic product exports reached 6.14 billion USD in March, bringing the total export value in the first quarter of this year to 15.72 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 13.1%.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of 4.4 billion USD in agro-forestry-aquatic products in the first quarter, up 13.1% compared the same period last year.

Specifically, the export value of agricultural products reached 8.53 billion USD, up 12.2%; livestock products 131.3 million USD, up 18.5%; aquatic products 2.29 billion USD, up 18.1%; and forestry products 4.21 billion USD, up 11.2%.

By product group, forestry products, aquatic products, and agricultural products are the three categories that posted trade surpluses. Specifically, the group of forestry products is estimated to have a surplus of 3.54 billion USD, up 9.1% compared to the same period in 2024; the group of aquatic products has a surplus of 1.51 billion USD, up 14.1%; and the group of agricultural products has a surplus of 1.48 billion USD, up 16.9%.

Three export items with the highest trade surpluses were wood and wooden products, coffee, and shrimp with surpluses of 3.29 billion USD, 2.79 billion USD, and 792.6 million USD respectively.

Asia is the largest export market for Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic products as it held a 42% market share. It is followed by the Americas and Europe, with market shares of 22.5% and 16.6%, respectively.

Compared to the same period last year, the export value of Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic products to Asia increased by 2%; to the Americas up 15.7%; to Europe up 37.8%; to Africa up more than 100%; and to Oceania up 0.8%.

Regarding key exports, in the first three months of 2025, Vietnam exported 509,500 tonnes of coffee worth 2.88 billion USD, down 12.9% in export volume but up 49.5% in value compared to the same period last year.

Rubber also saw a decrease of 4.4% in export volume but an increase of 26.1% in value, reaching 396,100 tonnes valued at 765.8 million USD. China is the largest market for Vietnamese rubber, holding a 73.7% market share. The second and third largest markets are India and Indonesia, with market shares of 3.8% and 3.2%, respectively.

Similarly, thanks to favourable export prices, Vietnam’s cashew nut exports posted a decrease of 19.3% in volume but an increase of 4.3% in value compared with those of the same period last year. It exported 121,400 tonnes of cashew nuts worth 841.1 million USD.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of this year, Vietnam exported 2.2 million tonnes of rice valued at 1.14 billion USD, an increase of 0.6% in volume but a decrease of 19.7% in value compared to the same period in 2024.

The Philippines is the largest market for Vietnamese rice, holding a 42.1% market share. It is followed by Ivory Coast and Ghana with market shares of 16.3% and 10.2%, respectively.

The export value of vegetables and fruits in the first quarter reached 1.14 billion USD, a decrease of 11.3% compared to the same period in 2024. Vietnamese vegetables and fruits are mainly exported to China with an export value accounting for 44.5% of the total.

Vietnam’s tea exports reached 27,300 tonnes valued at 44.4 million USD, up 3% in volume and 2.7% in value compared to the same period in 2024./.