This information was announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade at the 11th Southern Industry and Trade Conference held in Tay Ninh Province on October 20.
The region covers the eight provinces and cities of Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Vinh Long, An Giang, Dong Thap, and Ca Mau.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, during the first nine months of 2025, the IIP of many southern localities increased by more than 10%, including An Giang (over 14%), Dong Nai (over 14%), and Tay Ninh (over 13%). Key industries such as agricultural and aquatic product processing, textiles and garments, and electronics continued to play a leading role, contributing to an average regional growth rate of over 9%.
The total export turnover of southern provinces and cities in the first nine months was estimated at more than 124 billion USD, accounting for 35.8% of the national total. Total imports exceeded 106 billion USD, bringing the region’s trade surplus to over 18 billion USD. Several localities recorded significant export growth, including Vinh Long, Dong Nai, Can Tho, and Tay Ninh.
Despite these positive results, the industry and trade sector in the south still faces several challenges, including slow industrial restructuring, dependence on foreign direct investment (FDI), weak supporting industries, incomplete infrastructure, high logistics costs, and limited regional linkages.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang emphasised that to improve the efficiency of industrial and trade activities in the coming period, localities in the southern region should clearly delegate and decentralise authority to the commune level, ensuring that at least one staff member is assigned specifically to the industry and trade sector.
Regarding trade development and international cooperation, Tay Ninh needs to focus on developing the Moc Bai, Tinh Bien, and Ha Tien border economic zones, in combination with establishing border logistics centres and strengthening trade cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand through border corridors.
For provinces and cities across the southern region, sustainable border trade management and enhanced national defence and security in border areas are essential, especially in combating smuggling and trade fraud.
The goal for the industry and trade sector in the final quarter of 2025 is for the region’s total import-export turnover to exceed 300 billion USD, with exports reaching over 160 billion USD, maintaining a steady trade surplus.
To achieve this target, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will focus on promoting processing and manufacturing industries, energy development, e-commerce, and export promotion; completing infrastructure in industrial zones; ensuring stable electricity supply; and implementing the “Vietnamese People Use Vietnamese Goods” programme to stabilise the market during the 2026 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.
