On December 4, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held its monthly press briefing for November, chaired by its Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien.

Exports hit USD 64 billion with solid growth across all sectors

The ministry reported that November exports reached an estimated USD 5.8 billion, down slightly from October but 8.4% higher than a year earlier. Cumulative export turnover for the January - November period rose 12.6% year-on-year to USD 64.01 billion.

Agricultural products brought in USD 34.24 billion, livestock products USD 567.4 million, seafood USD 10.38 billion, and forestry products USD 16.61 billion. Inputs for agricultural production reached USD 2.2 billion, while salt exports surged nearly 93%.

Asia remained Vietnam’s largest export destination, making up 45.1% of total turnover, followed by the Americas (22.8%) and Europe (13.4%). Exports to Europe and Africa posted particularly strong gains, rising 34.8% and 77.3% respectively. China accounted for 22% of total exports, the US 20.5% and Japan 7%.

Coffee continued to shine as one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing export items. Shipments in November were estimated at 80,000 tonnes worth USD 463.3 million, lifting the 11-month total to USD 7.88 billion, a 14.1% rise in volume and nearly 60% jump in value. Average export prices climbed almost 40%. Germany, Italy and Spain remained the largest buyers, with Mexico recording an exceptional surge.

Rice exports, by contrast, softened. Shipments in the first 11 months reached 7.5 million tonnes valued at USD 3.83 billion, down in both volume and value as global prices eased. The Philippines remained the dominant market, followed by Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

Fruit and vegetable exports maintained double-digit growth, estimated at USD 7.91 billion in the 11 month period. China accounted for almost two-thirds of total value, while shipments to the US grew sharply.

Cashew and pepper exports also strengthened, with higher value despite mixed volumes. Seafood exports, one of Vietnam’s most important sectors rose more than 13%, with China, US and Japan collectively taking over half of total shipments. Wood and wood products earned USD 15.54 billion, up 5.6%, driven largely by demand from the US and Japan.

Coordinated measures to boost exports and enhance competitiveness

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien noted that the ministry has been implementing a comprehensive set of policies, strategies and planning documents to sustain a growth target of 4% and reach USD 65 - 70 billion in exports next year.

He highlighted ongoing efforts to refine regulatory frameworks, accelerate administrative reform, push digital transformation and streamline procedures relating to agriculture, land, the environment and mineral resources.

The ministry is also advancing agricultural restructuring toward ecological farming, green growth and circular-economy models; raising productivity and value-added; deploying trade missions and international negotiations; and strengthening measures related to IUU prevention and forest-fire control.

Technology adoption, innovation and domestic-market development are being prioritised, alongside responses to new US countervailing tariffs. At the same time, the ministry is enhancing natural-resource management, improving disaster-risk prevention and speeding up key public-investment projects.

Communication and information outreach have been expanded to share effective production models and provide timely, science-based market updates to enterprises and farmers.

With these measures moving in tandem, Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery sector is accelerating toward its USD 65 - 70 billion export target, reinforcing the country’s position as one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien underlined that despite a challenging global environment, Vietnam’s agricultural sector has sustained stable production and is steadily advancing toward its 2025 export target of USD 65 - 70 billion. US and Chinese markets have shown clear signs of improvement, with China now accounting for more than 22% of total export value and the US 20.5%, while Europe continues to post strong gains, signaling a positive shift in both market reach and export quality.

If growth holds and December adds roughly USD 6 billion, agricultural exports could come close to the USD 70 billion mark in 2025. While trade tensions and global uncertainties remain, the sector’s performance has been notably resilient, creating strong momentum for the 2026 - 2030 development phase.