Pork exports saw a 25.9% increase

According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, citing General Department of Customs data, Vietnam exported 7,200 tonnes of meat and meat products from January to April 2025, earning USD 39.66 million. This represents a 0.9% rise in volume and a significant 25.9% increase in value year-on-year.

In the first 4 months of 2025, Vietnam's pork and pork-related products exports recorded positive growth in both value and market.

Vietnamese meat products were shipped to 25 markets during this period, with Hong Kong (China) remaining the largest importer, accounting for 50.52% of total export volume and 63.36% of export value. Specifically, exports to Hong Kong reached 3,600 tonnes, worth USD 25.13 million—up 6.5% in volume and 26.5% in value compared to the same period last year. The primary products exported to this market continue to be whole frozen suckling pigs and whole frozen pigs.

Exports also saw positive growth in both volume and value to key markets including China, France, Canada, Republic of Korea, and Japan.

Pork remains the leading export category, with fresh, chilled, or frozen pork making up 42.52% of total volume and 59.42% of export value. Poultry edible offal accounted for 24.7% of volume and 18.24% of value, while other types of edible offal made up 26.21% of volume and 17.8% of value. The remaining categories represented 6.56% of total export volume and 4.54% of export value.

Fresh, chilled, or frozen pork exports alone reached 3,090 tonnes, valued at USD 23.57 million. Although volume dropped 3.7% year-on-year, value rose sharply by 22.9%. The Hong Kong market once again led the way, with a slight 0.1% increase in volume and a 26.5% surge in value. However, exports to markets like Malaysia and Singapore declined during the same period.

Over USD 116 million spent on pork imports

On the import side, Vietnam imported 281,600 tonnes of meat and meat products worth USD 573.61 million in the first four months of 2025. This marks a 12.4% increase in volume and a 16.7% rise in value compared to the same period last year.

India remained the largest meat supplier to Vietnam, providing 56,500 tonnes valued at USD 194.49 million—despite a 15% drop in volume and a 7.2% decrease in value year-on-year. Imports from other major suppliers such as Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Turkey also declined.

Conversely, imports from several countries surged during the review period, including Russia, the United States, Brazil, South Korea, Poland, Spain, Hong Kong (China), Argentina, Iran, and France.

Vietnam’s imports mainly comprised poultry offal (fresh, chilled, or frozen), frozen buffalo meat, frozen beef, and other products. Notably, frozen pork imports reached 43,600 tonnes valued at USD 116.71 million—a sharp increase of 118.6% in volume and 161.4% in value year-on-year. The average import price stood at USD 2,672 per tonne, up 19.8% from the same period in 2024.

The Agency of Foreign Trade noted that Vietnam imported pork from 17 markets in this period. Russia led with a 51.68% share, followed by Brazil (31.5%), Spain (4.26%), Germany (3.06%), Poland (2.07%), the Netherlands (1.75%), the US (1.48%), and Canada (1.5%). Other markets collectively accounted for 2.7%.

In response to evolving consumer trends and higher standards from international markets, many domestic enterprises are investing heavily in processing—particularly deep processing and packaged products.

Experts suggest that with continued growth and upgrades across the value chain—from farming, slaughtering, and preservation to processing—Vietnam’s meat sector holds significant potential to expand in demanding markets such as Japan, the EU, and South Korea.