On the afternoon of October 29, the General Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance released information on Vietnam's import-export performance during the first 10 months of the year.
As of October 29, the country's total merchandise trade turnover had exceeded the historic milestone of US$1 trillion. Of that total, exports reached nearly US$494 billion, up more than 27 percent from the same period last year, while imports totaled nearly US$508 billion, an increase of nearly 38 percent year-on-year.
For the whole of 2026, merchandise trade turnover is projected to rise by more than 25 percent, exceeding the Government's target of 15 percent to 16 percent.
By ownership structure, foreign-invested enterprises recorded the highest trade turnover at US$778 billion, accounting for nearly 78 percent of the country's total import-export value, up 37 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, domestic enterprises posted a trade turnover of approximately US$223 billion, representing a 16 percent increase from the same period last year.
The country's exports were mainly destined for markets with which it has signed free trade agreements, recording strong growth compared with last year, including Japan (up nearly 19 percent), South Korea (up 19 percent), Canada (up more than 14 percent), and Mexico (up nearly 43 percent). China and the United States remained Vietnam's largest trading partners.
By commodity group, computers, electronic products and components; phones and components; and machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts recorded the highest trade values. Together, these three categories accounted for US$532 billion in import-export value, representing 54 percent of the country's total trade turnover, up 49 percent year-on-year.
Since joining the World Trade Organization, Vietnam's import-export activities have continuously set new milestones such as US$100 billion in 2007, US$200 billion in 2011, US$300 billion in 2015, US$400 billion in 2017, US$500 billion in 2019, US$600 billion in 2021, US$700 billion in 2022, US$900 billion in 2025, and surpassing US$1 trillion in 2026.
Vietnam currently ranks 18th in the world for exports and 20th for imports. Within ASEAN, Vietnam continues to hold second place, behind only Singapore. The country's trade sector is further reinforcing its position as a key link in global supply chains.
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