HANOI: Vietnam is seeing a surge in imports from the United States, with fruit, seafood and raw materials leading the way.
In the first seven months of 2025, Vietnam imported more than US$10.5bil worth of goods from the United States, up nearly 23% year-on-year, according to the General Department of Customs. Leading the surge were fruit, seafood and raw materials.
Fruit is among the fastest-growing import categories. While overall fruit and vegetable imports to Vietnam dropped, shipments from the United States bucked the trend, rising 47% to around US$354mil.
Grapes, apples, cherries and citrus fruits are now common in supermarkets, alongside newcomers like California nectarines.
The United States is currently the second-largest fruit supplier to Vietnam, close behind China. Customs data showed that by Aug 15, total fruit and vegetable imports had fallen nearly 18% year-on-year to around US$1.5bil.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, domestic supply has been plentiful in 2025, with strong harvests of durian, mango, dragon fruit and longan.
Competitive local prices reduced the need for imports. A stronger US dollar and high transport costs also pushed up prices of imported produce, dampening demand.
Even so, US products bucked the trend. Lower tariffs on apples, cherries, almonds and pistachios, together with steady quality and strict food safety standards, helped American fruit win more market share.
Imports of animal feed reached US$447mil, up 27% while soybeans totalled US$248mil, up 8%.
High-end beef and seafood are attracting Vietnamese consumers even though beef still faces import duties of 14% to 20%.
Industry groups said that if tariffs fall to zero, imports of US beef could rise 20% to 30% within six months.
In raw materials, cotton remains the largest US export to Vietnam, valued at nearly US$940mil, up 56%. Plastic resins rose 49% to US$656mil while steel scrap doubled to US$125mil, reflecting the recovery in construction and steel production. — Viet Nam News/ANN
