According to the Processing and Market Development Authority (AgroTrade) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam exported $11.6 billion worth of farm produce from January to July, up 3.6 percent against the same period last year.

Markets seeing strong export growth included Indonesia in rice, coffee, and rubber; Russia in coffee and cashew nuts; Germany in tea, cashew nuts, pepper, and rubber; Malaysia in rice, tea, wood, vegetables and fruit; the Philippines in rice and coffee; Saudi Arabia in tea; Iraq and Hong Kong in rice; the US in tea, cashew nuts, and pepper; India in rubber and pepper; and Thailand in vegetables and fruit, and aquatic products.

Rice remained one of the biggest hard currency earners. Vietnam earned $1.96 billion from selling 3.87 million tons of rice abroad, up 29.2 per cent in value and 12.2 per cent in volume. China continued to be the largest rice importer of Vietnam with 26.8 per cent of the market share.

Earnings from vegetable and fruit exports in the first seven months of the year are estimated at $2.3 billion, a year – on - year surge of 12.6 percent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Processing and Market Development Authority (AgroTrade).

China remained the biggest export market of Vietnam in the first half of 2018, accounting for 74 per cent of the total vegetable and fruit exports. Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit exports to China reached $1.47 billion, up by 18 per cent year on year.

Meanwhile, strong export growth was recorded in Thailand (37.6 per cent), the Republic of Korea (16.7 per cent), and the US (15.9 per cent).

Meanwhile, the shipment of other fruits and vegetables is forecast to face challenges in the remaining months of this year due to impacts of the rainy season, and the US-China trade war.

Furthermore, China is seeking new export markets, and promoting domestic consumption, thus reducing demand for imports.

However, Vietnamese vegetables and fruits will have new destinations thanks to many free trade agreements which help unlock potential markets for Vietnamese products. Businesses should enhance production in value chain to ensure good quality for exports.

The country also exported 1.16 million tons of coffee worth $2.22 billion, up by 10.8 per cent in volume but down by 5.7 per cent in value. Germany and the U.S remained the two biggest consumers of Vietnamese coffee.

Vietnam sold 153,000 tons of pepper worth $517 million to overseas markets during the January-July period, up 3.7 per cent in volume but down 36.1 per cent in value.

As many as 696,000 tons of rubbers were exported in the period, bringing home $997 million, up by 9.9 per cent in volume and down 10.7 per cent in value.

Vietnam’s seafood export value in the first seven months of 2018 was estimated at $4.63 billion, up by 6.3 per cent over the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The US, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea were the largest importers of Vietnamese seafood in the first half of this year, accounting for 53.5 per cent of the total value.

Seafood exports also saw strong growth in the Netherlands (56 per cent), Germany (27.2 per cent) and China’s Hong Kong (23.9 per cent).

During the January-July period, Vietnam imported $984 million worth of seafood, a year – on - year increase of 27.8 per cent.

According to the MARD’s Department of Produce Processing and Market Development, the upcoming imposition of a 10 per cent tariff on all Chinese seafood exports by the US and China’s plan to levy a 25 per cent tariff on US aquatic products will provide an opportunity for Vietnam to boost its exports to these two markets.

Vietnam’s total seafood output reached more than 7.2 million tons in 2017, including roughly 3.4 million tons coming from catching, and over 3.8 million tons from aquaculture, according to the ministry.