In the agricultural sector, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to enhance value-added processing and speed up negotiations for new free trade agreements (FTAs) aimed at tapping potential markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.
According to the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vina Fruit), fruit and vegetable exports reached about 6.11 billion USD in the first nine months of 2025, up 8.3% year on year, with a trade surplus exceeding 4.2 billion USD. The rebound in exports to China during August and September served as the main growth driver.
However, as the sector remains heavily dependent on China, Vina Fruit Secretary-General Dang Phuc Nguyen stressed the urgent need to expand deep processing and diversify exports towards markets with strong demand for processed goods such as Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.
The global processed fruit and vegetable market, valued at 77 billion USD in 2025, is expected to reach 111.6 billion USD by 2035, growing at an annual rate of 3.8%. This presents significant opportunities for Viet Nam to shift from raw exports to higher-value processed products.
The same shift must also occur in other agricultural sectors. Coffee exporters, for example, face challenges from the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and must expand into emerging markets such as Japan and Australia, where demand for processed coffee is rising. Viet Nam’s processed coffee exports reached 1.02 billion USD in the first seven months of 2025, a 64% increase year on year.
The seafood industry has likewise gained fresh momentum. Members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) imported 242 million USD worth of Vietnamese tra fish in the first eight months of 2025, up 36% year on year, while exports to Brazil rose 54% to 118 million USD.
The upcoming Viet Nam–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is expected to eliminate tariffs on 99% of Vietnamese exports, unlocking vast opportunities for exporters, particularly those meeting international and Halal standards.
