HANOI: Hanoi’s goods imports rose 41% from a year earlier to an estimated US$42.66bil in the first eight months of 2026, according to officials from the city’s Statistics Office.
Imports of machinery, equipment and spare parts increased 45% to US$8.78bil in the period, reflecting stronger production activity, investment and demand for production inputs among businesses.
Petroleum product imports nearly doubled, climbing 96% to US$5.43bil, while imports of transport vehicles and spare parts rose 77% to US$4.37bil, and imports of computers, electronic products and components surged 36.4% to US$3.07bil.
The domestic economic sector accounted for US$35.5bil of total imports in the eight-month period, up 44%, while the foreign- invested sector imported US$7.16bil worth of goods, up 29%.
According to the office, Hanoi’s exports during the January to August period increased 8% year-on-year to an estimated US$14.89bil.
The foreign-invested sector continued to post significantly faster export growth than the domestic economic sector, underscoring its growing contribution to the city’s export performance and highlighting the need for domestic companies to strengthen competitiveness and deepen their participation in global value chains, the office said.
Computers, electronic products and components were among the city’s strongest- performing categories, rising 21% to US$2.26bil.
Agricultural products also increased 22% to US$1.26bil.
Exports of transport vehicles and spare parts rose 7% to US$2.04bil, while machinery, equipment and spare parts increased 1.2% to US$2.14bil.
Some sectors, however, faced weaker overseas demand.
Textile and garment exports fell 4% to US$1.53bil, while wood and wood product exports dropped 12% to US$481mil.
Telephone and component exports plunged 66% to US$42mil.
The office said the declines underscored continuing pressure from international markets and the need for businesses to improve their adaptability.
Head of the office Pham Hoai Nam said Hanoi should strengthen domestic production capacity, raise the value added of its products and deepen its integration into supply chains, with import growth significantly outpacing export growth.
The city should also step up trade promotion, strengthen links between businesses and domestic and international markets, help firms address operational difficulties and encourage greater use of free trade agreements, he said.
Such measures would definitely help Hanoi expand export markets, diversify trading partners and reduce reliance on a limited number of traditional markets, according to Nam.
The city aims to achieve average annual export growth of at least 12% during 2026 to 2030, with the city seeking to diversify export markets, boost high-tech and value-added products and reduce reliance on traditional markets, according to a plan signed by a city official.
Under the plan, the city also aims to increase the share of high-tech products to more than 50% of total export value by 2030.
The capital will seek to expand merchandise exports alongside investment in infrastructure, science and technology, digital transformation, green manufacturing and workforce development, while promoting sustainable trade and environmental protection.
It plans to make greater use of commitments under free trade agreements, particularly next-generation pacts, to diversify products and export destinations and mitigate market risks.
The city will focus on key markets, including the United States, European Union, Japan, South Korea, China and Asean, while seeking to expand into emerging markets in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Priority export sectors include computers, electronics and components; machinery, equipment and spare parts; textiles and garments; footwear; wood and wood products; agricultural and processed food products; handicrafts; and supporting-industry products.
The plan calls on businesses to expand production capacity, upgrade technology, improve product quality, increase processing and develop green and higher-value products for overseas markets. — Viet Nam News/ANN
