Many product groups have promising export prospects.
Vietnamese export are maintaining strong growth momentum, opening up opportunities for many product groups in 2027 such as agricultural products, wood products, construction materials, textiles and consumer goods... However, fluctuations in international trade, logistics costs and increasingly high market demands require businesses to proactively secure supply sources, enhance competitiveness and choose right export products.
At the seminar "2027 - What to Export?" organized by VIETGO Export Promotion Company Limited on November 5th, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Viet - CEO of VIETGO - stated that Vietnam's import and export activities continue to record positive results, creating a foundation for businesses to expand markets and seek business opportunities.
Citing data from General Statistics Office (Ministry of Finance), Mr. Nguyen Tuan Viet stated that total value of goods export and import in the first 10 months of 2026 reached US$1,010.55 billion, an increase of 32.3% compared to the same period last year. This is the first time scale of Vietnam's goods export and import has exceeded US$1 trillion. Of this, export reached US$499.24 billion, an increase of 27.5%; and import reached US$511.31 billion, an increase of 37.4%. Based on market developments, he predicted that total export value for the whole year of 2026 could reach approximately US$570 to over US$600 billion.
Assessing prospects, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Viet believes that Vietnam has three important advantages for export activities: a stable political and macroeconomic environment; a favorable geographical location for international transportation; and a network of free trade agreements (FTAs). "In particular, FTA network facilitates Vietnamese goods' access to many markets with preferential tariffs when meeting relevant regulations. Geographical location and the seaport system also support businesses in connecting with international transport routes, contributing to increased competitiveness in logistics costs", he emphasized.
However, according to CEO of VIETGO, export activities in 2027 will be affected by many factors, especially trade competition between major economies, geopolitical conflicts in some regions, supply chain restructuring trends, essential consumer demand and investment in infrastructure development. In this context, demand for essential consumer goods, raw materials and construction materials is projected to open opportunities for many of Vietnam's export sectors.
India is considered a potential market thanks to its population of over 1.4 billion people and its rapid urbanization process. According to Mr. Viet, demand for infrastructure development, housing and industrial production in this country creates opportunities for plywood, veneer, furniture and building materials. Spices such as cinnamon, star anise, pepper, chili, ginger, turmeric and garlic also have promising prospects in India and the Middle East.
For wood industry, two product groups are projected to have export potential: indoor and outdoor furniture and processed materials such as veneer, plywood and sawn timber. Demand in India and China is expected to continue expanding, creating opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to develop supply chains and strengthen linkages between raw material sources, processing plants and transportation systems.
Construction materials group also has prospects thanks to demand for infrastructure development and post-conflict reconstruction in some markets. According to Mr. Viet, VIETGO notes that foreign importers are interested in sourcing cement, bricks, stone and finishing materials from Vietnam.
In agricultural sector, coffee, cashew nuts, rice, pepper, fresh fruit and processed fruit continue to be assessed as having export potential. Specifically for coffee, Mr. Viet suggested developing a comprehensive development strategy, boosting processing, improving product quality and expanding international customer base to increase export value.
In addition, plastic, paper, packaging, textile, footwear and industrial components have more opportunities as international supply chains continue to adjust. In particular, textile industry needs to proactively secure domestic raw materials and components, develop supporting industries and meet rules of origin to effectively utilize benefits from FTAs.
Transforming market opportunities into export orders
Although many product groups are considered promising in 2027, Vietnamese export businesses still face challenges regarding logistics costs, payment risks, customer access and supply capacity. These are also issues of concern for many businesses at the workshop.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tuan Viet, conflicts in the Middle East have impacted maritime transport, causing freight rates on some routes to increase sharply. At one point, cost of shipping a 40-foot container to the Middle East increased from approximately $1,500-$2,000 to $4,000-$6,000. Fluctuations in freight rates, along with a shortage of space on ships, directly impacted delivery schedules, increasing costs and reducing competitiveness of businesses.
This situation was reflected by a representative of a bamboo product manufacturing company in Thanh Hoa. According to them, the company is facing difficulties exporting to the Middle East and India due to high transportation costs. Some orders have already been placed with deposits, but the goods remain at the factory, putting pressure on capital and production operations.
Given these difficulties, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Viet recommended that businesses proactively work with transportation companies, seek options for securing space on ships, negotiate freight rates and adjust delivery plans accordingly. At the same time, it is necessary to focus on evaluating partners, choosing payment methods and building strict contract terms to limit risks in international transactions.
Besides controlling costs, experts emphasize need to change mindset in product development, using market demand as basis for building production and export plans. Businesses need to clearly identify target customers, consumption characteristics and consumption capacity before deciding to invest in processing or expanding product line.
Based on reality that some dragon fruit cooperatives have been promoting processing of products such as dried dragon fruit, jam, cakes and candies to reduce dependence on fresh fruit market but have faced difficulties in finding customers in Russia, Europe and the US, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Viet believes that businesses need to carefully research needs of each market before developing products. According to him, fresh fruit and processed fruit target different customer groups with different consumption habits and distribution channels. Therefore, businesses need to clearly identify their customer segment and consumption potential before investing in production, avoiding situations where products are launched but do not meet actual demand.
For Chinese market, expert recommend that businesses expand their reach to importers and distribution systems in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou instead of relying solely on purchasing through border traders. These customers often have high demands regarding quality, packaging specifications, delivery schedules and trade services.
For cooperatives with established raw material areas, planting area codes, and stable supply capacity, it is necessary to proactively learn about foreign trade practices, build sales teams and connect directly with importers to improve market access.
From a policy perspective, CEO of VIETGO proposed strengthening support for export trading businesses, especially in accessing capital and resolving obstacles in value-added tax refunds. According to him, these businesses play a crucial role in connecting production facilities with international customers but often face limitations in financial resources and market development capabilities.
"Along with support solutions, businesses need to accelerate application of technology, exploit customer data, improve demand forecasting capabilities and leverage trade promotion activities to find partners. The last months of 2026 are also time to proactively prepare goods, negotiate contracts and build delivery plans for 2027", expert recommended, emphasizing that in context of continued fluctuations in international trade, choosing right potential products is initial condition. Ability to convert market opportunities into actual orders depends on supply capacity, product quality, cost control capabilities and building stable cooperative relationships with importers. This is basis for businesses to improve export efficiency and expand markets in 2027.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn