According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Viet Nam’s total export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fisheries products in 2025 is estimated at 70.09 billion USD, up 12% compared with 2024. Of this, the US remained the largest export market, accounting for 21.1% of total turnover, equivalent to nearly 15 billion USD, an increase of 16% year on year. Key export items to the US include seafood, wood and wood products, cashew nuts, pepper, fruit and coffee.
According to Nguyen Hoai Nam, Secretary General of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the US was Viet Nam’s second-largest seafood export market in 2025, with export value reaching 1.9 billion USD, up 4.9% year on year. Despite tariff-related impacts in the US market, this growth demonstrates the resilience and strong adaptability of Vietnamese enterprises.
Many companies have shifted their focus towards high-quality, deeply processed products that are in strong demand in the US. A notable example is Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, which has partnered with US frozen seafood importer and distributor CenSea to launch a new premium shrimp brand, CenSea Reserve, targeting restaurants and high-end customers.
The CenSea Reserve product line uses shrimp farmed and processed by Minh Phu, including peeled white-leg shrimp and peeled black tiger shrimp. All products are certified under Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP).
Hoang Thi Lien, Chairwoman of the Viet Nam Pepper and Spice Association, said that in 2025 Viet Nam exported more than 247,000 tonnes of pepper, with export value reaching 1.66 billion USD. The US remained the largest export market, importing over 55,000 tonnes, accounting for 22.3% of total export volume.
As logistics costs remain high and the US continues to tighten technical standards, pepper exporters have rapidly shifted towards a growth model based on quality and sustainable value addition, rather than merely expanding output as in previous periods.
According to Le Vu Thuy Dung, Deputy Commercial Director of Dak Lak September 2nd Import-Export Co Ltd (Simexco DakLak), the US has continuously updated regulations on maximum residue limits (MRLs) for plant protection chemicals, requiring strict compliance from exporters. “This is a highly potential market for many agricultural products, including pepper. As a result, Simexco DakLak has continuously refined its farming processes by strengthening linkages with farmers, locating processing plants directly in raw material areas, implementing multi-layer quality control at factories, and digitising cultivation histories through mobile applications to enable transparent traceability,” she said.
Accordingly, all pepper consignments are subjected to on-site rapid testing, and only those meeting standards are allowed into production lines. Finished pepper products are then re-tested at internationally accredited laboratories to ensure full compliance with US MRL requirements.
Alongside pepper, Viet Nam is also a major coffee supplier to the US market. Fruit and vegetable exports to the US in 2025 exceeded 500 million USD, making the US Viet Nam’s second-largest fruit and vegetable export market after China.
According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, US demand for agricultural, forestry and fisheries products remains substantial, particularly for shrimp, tra fish, pepper and coffee. Specifically, the US coffee market continues to show positive growth prospects in the medium and long term, with market value estimated at 112.86 billion USD in 2025 and projected to rise to 167.72 billion USD by 2034.
Within consumption patterns, roasted coffee continues to dominate, while ready-to-drink and organic coffee products are experiencing rapid growth, driven by demand for convenience, safety and sustainability. This presents opportunities for Viet Nam to expand exports of competitive products such as high-quality Robusta, roasted and ground coffee, and instant coffee.
Despite these positive growth signals, the US market still carries considerable risks related to trade and financial policies, high logistics costs due to geographical distance, and increasingly stringent requirements on quality and origin certification. Enterprises therefore need to maintain strict supply chain control, closely monitor policy changes, and diversify market access approaches in order to sustain long-term competitive advantages.
