Vietnam’s exports still going strong despite US protectionism

7/31/2017 - 7:46:45 AM

There are concerns that Vietnam’s exports to the US could be hurt by the growing US protectionism, its withdrawal from the TPP trade deal and Vietnam’s inclusion on a list of countries with which the US runs a trade deficit. However, thus far Vietnam’s exports to the US have remained strong.

Strong export growth to the US

According to the General Statistics Office, the US remained the largest market for Vietnamese exports in the first half of 2017, at US$19.6 billion, up 9.5% annually, lower than the 12.8% growth rate during the same period of 2016.

But the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) explained that the reason behind the slowdown in growth is a result of slower-than-expected growth in the US economy, therefore Vietnam’s 9.5% growth in exports to the US is a respectable performance.

Vinatex General Director Le Tien Truong said that as the world economy remained unstable and the global textile sector remained fairly subdued, the main importers of garments, including the US, all witnessed a slowdown in their imports.

The MOIT added that a number of sectors saw slower growth in exports to the US but exports in general remained positive because Vietnam has been trying to diversify its export markets. For example, the export revenue of computers and electronic products to the US reached US$1.05 billion in the first half of the year, up slightly at 0.2%. However, during the same period, phone exports increased by a dramatic 45.8%, with shipments to Slovakia, Turkey and Mexico, shooting up by 989.3%, 403.3% and 132.1% respectively.

Seafood revenues to the US also reached just US$638 million, up 0.43%, as Vietnamese exporters are shifting their targets to the EU, Japanese and Chinese markets.

New expectations

According to the MOIT, the US withdrawal from the TPP dashed the hopes of a stronger trade growth with the world’s largest economy but at this time and in the future, this withdrawal will not have any negative impacts on US investment and trade with Vietnam.

In addition, although Vietnam is on the list of countries with which the US runs a trade deficit, Vietnam is not its main target. In fact, a large part of Vietnam’s equipment, computers and electronic component exports to the US are produced by US companies in Vietnam.

Nevertheless, the largest hurdle for Vietnamese exports to the US is the growing protection in the form of technical barriers, especially stricter requirements on quality and food safety, for instance, regulations on pesticide residues in rice or antibiotic residues in seafood, which have hurt Vietnam’s farming and seafood exports lately.

As such, the MOIT has stated that in the long run, measures are needed to enhance the quality of Vietnamese food products in order to meet safety standards, so that Vietnam can maintain and expand its market share in the US.

Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Industry and Commerce, a body representing Vietnamese enterprises, said that with or without the TPP, the US remains Vietnam’s major trading partner and investor.

Although, at present it is hard to predict the US administration’s attitude towards the Vietnam-US economic relationship, enterprises are anticipating new bilateral and multilateral agreements replacing the TPP, to boost trade and investment between the two sides.

The MOIT has projected that Vietnam’s exports to the US could reach over US$40 billion in 2017 and the US will remain the largest export market of Vietnam.

Source: NDO

Six-month industrial production index estimated to rise 20%

According to data from the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee, the industrial production index for the first six months of 2025 is estimated to have increased by 20% compared to the same period last year. This marks the highest year-on-year growth rate for this period since 2020.

Exports exceeded 1.1 billion USD in 6 months

In the first six months of 2025, Hoa Binh province’s export turnover was estimated at 1.145 billion USD, marking an 18.11% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Import turnover was estimated at $ 804 million, a 17.15% increase, which helped the province maintain a positive trade balance.

The effectiveness of professional models of association and group in Tan Lac district

The lives of the ethnic minority farmers in Tan Lac district have gradually improved thanks to the new directions in agricultural production. This is a testament to the collective strength fostered through the professional associations and groups implemented by various levels of the district’s Farmers’ Union.

Building the brand of Muong village clean food

With the motto the "product quality comes first,” after nearly one year of establishment and operation, Muong village’s Clean Food Agricultural and Commercial Cooperative, located in Cau Hamlet, Hung Son Commune (Kim Boi district), has launched reputable, high-quality agricultural products to the market that are well-received by consumers. The products such as Muong village’s pork sausage, salt-cured chicken, and salt-cured pork hocks have gradually carved out a place in the market and they are on the path to obtaining the OCOP certification.

Hoa Binh ethnic farmers join forces through collective economic models

In the past, the phrase "bumper harvest, rock-bottom prices" was a familiar refrain for Vietnamese farmers engaged in fragmented, small-scale agriculture. But today, a new spirit is emerging across rural areas of Hoa Binh province - one of collaboration, organisation, and collective economic models that provide a stable foundation for production.

Maintaining farming area codes: Key to bringing Hoa Binh farm produce to global market

Maintaining growing area codes and packing facility codes in accordance with regulations is a mandatory requirement for agricultural products to be eligible for export. Recently, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hoa Binh province has intensified technical supervision of designated farming areas and packing facilities to safeguard the "green passport" that enables its products to access international markets.