Viet Nam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports reach US$11.3 billion in first two months

Viet Nam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports reached an estimated US$11.3 billion in the first two months of 2026, up 17.1% year-on-year. The positive result signals a recovery in global markets and provides momentum for the agricultural sector to expand production and move toward its export target of US$73-75 billion this year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, export turnover in February 2026 was estimated at US$4.71 billion, down 28.4% from the previous month but still 1.9% higher than the same period in 2025. Overall, exports in January and February totalled about US$11.3 billion, marking a 17.1% increase year-on-year.

In terms of product categories, agricultural products generated US$6.09 billion, up 17.1%; seafood exports reached US$1.76 billion, rising 23.3%; and forestry products brought in US$2.82 billion, up 7.4%.

Notably, livestock product exports recorded strong growth, reaching US$140.7 million, an increase of 84.3% compared with the same period last year. Other categories also posted significant gains, including agricultural production inputs, which rose 51.7%, and salt, up 69%.

Asia remained the largest export market for Viet Nam’s agro-forestry-fishery products, accounting for 45.5% of total export value. It was followed by the Americas with 21% and Europe with 15.7%. Exports to Africa and Oceania accounted for 2.2% and 1.4% respectively.

Compared with the same period in 2025, export value to Asia increased by 27.7%, while shipments to the Americas rose 10.4% and to Europe 12%. Exports to Oceania surged 32.4%, while those to Africa declined by 19.6%.

By individual markets, China remained the largest importer of Viet Nam’s agro-forestry-fishery products, accounting for 22.9% of total export turnover. The United States ranked second with 18.7%, followed by Japan with 7.2%.

Compared with the same period in 2025, exports to China in the first two months of 2026 rose sharply by 55.9%. Shipments to the United States increased by 9.2%, while exports to Japan grew by 9.8%.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the strong performance in the early months of the year reflects improving market demand and provides favourable conditions for the sector to continue expanding production and markets in pursuit of the 2026 export target of US$73–75 billion.

To sustain export growth, the ministry plans to implement a range of measures focusing on increasing value-added, promoting sustainable production and proactively adapting to increasingly stringent market requirements.

Amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties that could affect transport, payments and global trade flows, the sector also aims to strengthen market forecasting capacity and develop response scenarios to address potential trade disruptions.

In production, the ministry will enhance value-chain management and promote stronger linkages between production, preliminary processing, processing and distribution. Supply chains linked with concentrated raw material areas, ensuring traceability and food safety, will be expanded to improve supply stability and product quality for export.

At the same time, businesses are encouraged to invest in technological innovation and develop deep processing linked with raw material zones and sustainable supply chains. Priority will be given to post-harvest preservation technologies and the development of by-product processing under a circular economy approach to maximise raw material use, reduce losses and increase product value.

The agricultural sector also aims to increase the share of processed products in both domestic consumption and exports, gradually reducing dependence on raw commodity exports.

In addition, the ministry will support improvements in quality control at processing and storage facilities and guide enterprises in meeting technical standards, quarantine requirements, food safety regulations and traceability rules in export markets, particularly high-standard destinations.

Alongside strengthening domestic capacity, the sector will continue to build and promote the brand of Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products, step up trade promotion activities, enhance supply–demand connections and develop specialised logistics systems in a modern and sustainable direction to reduce costs and improve export competitiveness.

To further expand markets, the ministry will continue negotiations to open new markets for key products while proactively addressing technical barriers related to food safety and quarantine requirements in major export destinations. At the same time, Viet Nam will expand international cooperation and promote mutual recognition agreements in the food sector to facilitate export activities.