Agro-forestry-fishery sector posts trade surplus of more than US$20.7 billion

Speaking at a regular press briefing on January 6, Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, said 2025 had been an exceptionally challenging year. Globally, armed conflicts and heightened trade competition created significant uncertainty, while domestically, the adoption of a two-tier local government model required extensive revisions to the legal framework.

The agriculture sector was also hit hard by natural disasters and severe storms, resulting in heavy losses in both lives and property.

Natural disasters claimed more than 420 lives during the year, with total economic losses estimated at around VND 109 trillion. Aquaculture was heavily affected, with about 1,500 hectares of farming area damaged. Livestock production faced compounded pressure from disease outbreaks and extreme weather, while crop cultivation and forestry also suffered notable impacts.

Despite these challenges, and under strong direction from the Party Central Committee, the Government and the Prime Minister, the agriculture sector posted solid results. Agro-forestry-fishery exports reached US$6.21 billion in December 2025, providing a strong year-end lift and pushing full-year export turnover to US$70.09 billion, up 12% from 2024. The figure exceeded the original target of US$65 billion and marked a record high.

According to Tran Gia Long, deputy head of the Planning and Finance Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, export growth was recorded across most product categories. Agricultural products generated US$37.25 billion, up 13.7%; fisheries exports  hit US$11.32 billion, up 12.7%; forestry products totaled US$18.5 billion, up 6.6%; and livestock products brought in US$627.8 million, an increase of 17.4%. Inputs for agricultural production earned US$2.38 billion, up 27.1%, while salt exports surged 84.9%.

In 2025, Vietnam maintained 10 product groups with export turnover exceeding US$1 billion, including three, wood products, coffee, and fruit and vegetables, each surpassing US$8 billion. China, the US and Japan remained the country’s main export markets, while shipments expanded strongly to several other regions, particularly Africa, where exports rose 67.4%.

Apart from record export turnover, the sector also delivered a sizeable trade surplus, with net exports estimated at US$20.72 billion, up 16.6% from a year earlier. Around 90% of targets set for the agriculture and environment sector were met or surpassed, reinforcing its role as a key pillar of the national economy.

Toward US$74 billion export target

Looking ahead, Tran Gia Long said meeting the demands of a new phase, particularly in 2026, the starting point for the 2026-2030 period, would require continued strategic market opening and more effective promotion of agro-forestry-fishery exports to reach the US$73-74 billion target.

In 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will focus on further improving institutions, policies, standards and technical regulations in line with international practices, while creating a more enabling environment for farmers and businesses to invest in and develop high-quality agricultural value chains that meet food safety requirements.

The focus will also be on boosting private-sector development in agriculture, encouraging start-ups and innovation, and expanding processing, preservation, mechanization and high-tech applications. Increasing the share of deep processing is seen as key to lifting value added.

At the same time, the sector will continue to restructure production alongside digital transformation, strengthen linkages between raw material areas, processing and consumption, and build a reputation for Vietnamese agricultural products that are high quality, safe and environmentally friendly. Priority will also be given to easing technical barriers, negotiating wider market access, diversifying export channels, and strengthening traceability, logistics and e-commerce capabilities.

These efforts are expected to support Vietnam’s goal of maintaining its position among the world’s top 15 agro-forestry-fishery exporters.

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Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports race past 2024 record in first 11 months

Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fishery sector has set a new benchmark, posting an estimated US$64.01 billion in export earnings in the first 11 months of 2025, a 12.6% rise year on year and already higher than 2024’s figure of US$62.4 billion, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) reported.