AsemconnectVietnam - According to preliminary calculations based on data from the Vietnam Customs, two-way trade between Vietnam and the United States in 2025 reached USD153.18 billion, up 13.78% year on year.

Of this total, Vietnam’s exports to the US exceeded USD153.1 billion, an increase of 28.1%, while imports from the US into Vietnam reached nearly USD19.29 billion, up 27.71%. As a result, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of USD133.89 billion with the US, representing a 28.22% increase compared with the previous year. Trade relations between Vietnam and the United States experienced robust growth in 2025, with the US remaining Vietnam’s largest export market. Key export categories included textiles and garments, footwear, electronics, and wooden furniture. Bilateral trade turnover reached a historic high after 30 years of normalized diplomatic relations, alongside a clear shift toward sustainable development, green production, and stricter compliance with environmental and labor standards.
One of the most influential factors shaping Vietnam–US trade relations in 2025 was the tariff policy under President Donald Trump. The continued application and expansion of reciprocal tariffs, together with an increase in trade remedy investigations, created a more uncertain business environment for enterprises in both countries. Nevertheless, these measures forced both sides to adjust their approaches. Vietnamese exporters were compelled to place greater emphasis on rules of origin, supply chain transparency, and compliance with international standards.
Vietnam’s exports to the United States
According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s exports to the US in 2025 exceeded USD153.1 billion, up 28.1% compared with 2024.
More than half of Vietnam’s export value to the US consisted of high-tech products, including consumer electronics and smartphones, followed by garments and footwear. Other export items included furniture and agricultural products.
In 2025, the leading export category was computers, electronic products, and components, with export value exceeding USD42 billion, up 81.3% year on year, accounting for 27.4% of total exports to the US. This was followed by machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts, which reached USD24.1 billion, up 9.4%, representing 15.7% of export value. Textiles and garments ranked third, with exports of USD17.8 billion, an increase of 10.7%, accounting for 11.6% of total exports. Several product groups recorded strong export growth in 2025 compared with the previous year, including toys, sports equipment and parts (up 260.3%), electric wires and cables (up 52.2%), glass and glass products (up 99.9%), and coffee (up 56.9%).
The United States continued to lead as Vietnam’s largest export market, while Vietnam became one of the US’s major trading partners and an important link in global supply chains serving the US market.
Among Vietnam’s exports to the US, agricultural products, seafood, furniture, and home décor items held particularly important positions, reflecting Vietnam’s comparative advantages and strong US demand for these product groups.
With a combination of emerging leading industries such as high technology and traditional export sectors with stable market shares, together with advantages in price competitiveness, quality, and supply capacity, Vietnamese goods were expected to maintain strong momentum in the US market and continue to contribute significantly to Vietnam’s overall trade performance.
Imports from the United States in 2025
The largest import category from the US in 2025 was computers, electronic products, and components, which reached nearly USD5.46 billion, accounting for 28.31% of Vietnam’s total imports from the US, up 25.91% year on year.
The second-largest import category was cotton of all types, with import value of USD1.37 billion, accounting for 7.09%, representing a sharp increase of 100.7%. This was followed by machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts, which reached USD1.33 billion, accounting for 6.9%, up 20.54%, and plastic materials, which totaled USD1.17 billion, accounting for 6.04%, up 48.7%.
Most imported product groups from the US recorded increases in value compared with 2024. Notably, several categories with relatively modest absolute values experienced sharp growth, including confectionery and cereal-based products (up 171.5%, reaching USD65.88 million), precious stones, precious metals, and related products (up 149.6%, reaching USD67.41 million), and seafood products (up 77.3%, reaching USD121.21 million).
In contrast, certain export categories declined significantly, including telephones and components (down 53.3%, to USD0.43 million) and paper products (down 36%, to USD12.86 million).
Investment and long-term trade development
The year 2025 marked the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Vietnam–US relations and the 25th anniversary of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Over three decades, economic and trade cooperation became the central pillar of bilateral relations, playing a decisive role in the overall partnership.
From a trade value of less than USD500 million in the early 1990s, bilateral trade expanded nearly 300-fold, making the US Vietnam’s largest export market and Vietnam one of the US’s key trading partners in Asia.
Despite global economic volatility, Vietnam–US trade in 2025 maintained impressive growth. The US ranked 11th among foreign investors in Vietnam, with 1,501 projects and total registered capital of approximately USD12.3 billion. In 2025 alone, the US had 108 newly licensed investment projects in Vietnam, with total registered capital of approximately USD610.6 million, maintaining its 11th position. As of October 31, 2025, Vietnam had 266 investment projects in the US, with total registered capital of approximately USD1.4 billion.
The US market entered a phase of structural adjustment and screening, as rapid growth was increasingly accompanied by challenges, particularly from the third quarter of 2025 onward, when the impact of reciprocal tariffs became more evident in terms of higher costs, weaker demand, and rising inventories among US importers.
Toward new breakthroughs in bilateral trade
Looking ahead to 2026, the outlook for Vietnam–US trade was assessed as positive but increasingly challenging. Uncertainty in US trade policy, combined with the risk of an unfavorable ruling by the US Supreme Court regarding the legality of reciprocal tariffs under the Trump administration, created a highly risky environment for both US businesses and international partners, complicating long-term planning. In addition, rising tariff costs eroded profit margins, forcing many US companies to pass costs on to consumers, thereby reducing import demand.
T.Huong
Source: Vitic