AsemconnectVietnam - With a trade deficit of just $0.12 billion in August 2026, Vietnam's cumulative trade deficit through the end of August stood at $20.46 billion. This figure was lower than the $21.88 billion deficit recorded as of mid-August 2026.

The data recently released by the General Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance) showed that in August of 2026, Vietnam’s total value of goods exports and imports reached $109.7 billion, a decrease of 0.1% from the previous month but an increase of 31.7% year-on-year. For the eight-month period, the total exceeded $770 billion, marking a record high for this timeframe, representing a 28.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
Of this total, the value of goods exports reached $374.84 billion, up by 22.4% year-on-year. Specifically, the domestic economic sector contributed $74.47 billion (up by 7.4%, accounting for 19.9% of total exports), while the exports of the foreign-invested sector (including crude oil) reached $300.37 billion (up by 26.9%, accounting for 80.1%).
Conversely, the value of goods imports over the eight months reached $395.3 billion, a 35.3% increase year-on-year. Within this figure, the domestic economic sector accounted for $105.07 billion (up by 23.7%), and the foreign-invested sector accounted for $290.23 billion (up by 40.1%). With this result, the cumulative trade deficit in goods for the first eight months stands at $20.46 billion, a high figure, especially when compared to the trade surplus of over $14 billion recorded during the same period last year. However, there was a positive sign: the trade deficit is decelerating.
According to data from the General Statistics Office, the trade deficit for August 2026 was just $0.12 billion. This indicated a reversal in the trade balance during the second half of August; earlier in the month, the General Department of Customs had reported a deficit of $1.5 billion for the first half of August alone, with the cumulative deficit at that time standing at $21.88 billion.
Consequently, the trade deficit after eight months dropped to $20.46 billion. Within this total, the domestic economic sector recorded a deficit of $30.6 billion, while the foreign-invested sector (including crude oil) posted a surplus of $10.14 billion.
Major contributors to the trade deficit included electronics, computers, and components ($60.6 billion); petroleum products ($7.4 billion); plastics ($6.7 billion); various types of coal ($6.2 billion); crude oil ($5.3 billion); chemical products ($3.9 billion); and chemicals ($3.9 billion).
The Statistics Office data also showed that during the first eight months of 2026, 33 commodities achieved export turnover exceeding $1 billion, accounting for 93.6% of total export value (with seven commodities exceeding $10 billion in exports, representing 70% of the total). Conversely, 43 import categories exceeded $1 billion in value, accounting for 93.9% of the total import turnover (with three categories exceeding $10 billion, representing 55.5%).
Regarding the structure of imports in the first eight months of 2026, the "means of production" group reached over $372 billion, accounting for 94.1% of the total; within this group, machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts made up 57.6%, while raw materials, fuels, and supplies accounted for 36.5%. Consumer goods totaled $23.26 billion, representing 5.9%.
Thus, the significant import volume leading to a trade deficit is primarily driven by the importation of machinery and means of production intended to boost future manufacturing. However, the Ministry of Finance has previously warned about the trend of a widening trade deficit.
According to the Ministry of Finance, if imported means of production are slow to translate into actual production, business operations, and exports, it could negatively impact economic growth, the foreign exchange market, and exchange rates.
Regarding markets, the General Statistics Office reported that in the first eight months, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of $106.6 billion with the United States (up by 22.7% year-on-year), $31.4 billion with the EU (up by 22.8%), and $2.4 billion with Japan (up by 58%).
Conversely, Vietnam recorded trade deficits of $107.7 billion with China (up by 41.7%), $37.8 billion with South Korea (up by 89.4%), and $13.5 billion with ASEAN (up by 43.4%).
Source: VITIC/baotaichinh-dautu