In 2024, Vietnam’s major agricultural export markets will continue to be the US, China, Japan, and the European Union (EU). With the target of agricultural, forestry, and fishery export turnover reaching about 65 billion USD in 2025, maintaining and creating growth momentum in key markets is an important requirement.

Processing seafood for export at Cafatex Seafood Joint Stock Company (Hau Giang).

According to the Department of European-American Markets (Ministry of Industry and Trade), 2025 promises to be a year of strong growth in trade relations between Vietnam and the US, with total export turnover expected to reach 125 to 130 billion USD, in which agricultural, aquatic products and wooden handicrafts will continue to maintain positive growth momentum.

Accordingly, wooden handicrafts are expected to reach 10 billion USD, an increase of more than 20% compared to 2024. The trend of consuming sustainable and recycled furniture products in the US continues to be the main driving force behind the growth of this industry. The agricultural and aquatic products industry, including key products such as shrimp, pangasius, and cashew nuts, is also forecast to reach a turnover of more than 7 billion USD thanks to improved product quality, meeting strict US food safety standards. In addition, rubber products are also expected to maintain stable growth, playing an important role in the industrial production supply chain in this market.

Regarding the Chinese market, Vietnamese Trade Counselor in China Nong Duc Lai said: In 2025, Vietnam will continue to have many opportunities to increase agricultural exports to China. With its presence in many large supermarket chains in developed provinces deep in China such as Shandong and Hunan; plus expanding trade on e-commerce platforms and social networks in China, Vietnamese agricultural products are increasingly present in a large and diverse market of more than 1.4 billion people. Vegetables, seafood, rubber, cassava, etc. continue to be products with a lot of room for development.

However, it is worth noting that 2025 is expected to see many changes in the import policy of goods as well as the issuance of new regulations on product standards of many markets. Specifically in the EU region, the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU informed that since mid-December 2024, the European Commission has issued regulations on reviewing and applying additional inspection measures, emergency measures to manage the import of agricultural products and food from foreign countries into the EU and making decisions on some agricultural products and food originating in Vietnam, effective from January 8, 2025.

Accordingly, the inspection frequency of durian products will be increased from 10% to 20%; the border inspection frequency for dragon fruit will be increased from 30%; okra and chili apply a 50% inspection frequency, and each shipment is accompanied by a food safety certificate and analysis results of pesticide residues in the product. On the other hand, Vietnam must also implement many solutions to promptly apply the EUDR Regulations directly related to industries with large export turnover such as coffee, wood, and rubber.

In the US market, according to Mr. Do Ngoc Hung – Trade Counselor, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in the US, to achieve agricultural export goals, Vietnamese enterprises need to face and overcome a number of challenges such as trade defense measures; requirements to comply with sustainable development standards (ESG); Competition is increasingly fierce from regional rivals such as China, Bangladesh and India… At the same time, consumers in the US are also shifting to using sustainable products, requiring businesses to invest heavily in technology to maintain a competitive advantage.

Faced with major challenges from many key markets, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the Ministry will continue to implement projects to promote the export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the US, China, Japan, EU markets, etc. In particular, focusing on developing green agriculture in the direction of increasing organic agricultural production to meet the latest requirements of importing countries on quality, food hygiene and safety.

Currently, the total area of ​​organic agricultural production land in the country is about 75,000 hectares, of which 38,780 hectares of organic production are certified according to TCVN or according to EU, US and Japanese standards. Localities also promote planning of production areas and support organic production models in all areas such as: Cultivation, livestock, aquaculture, forestry.

In addition, from 2017 to present, the Ministry has also removed 14 active ingredients with 1,706 trade names of pesticides with high risks of affecting human health, livestock and the environment from the list of pesticides permitted for use in Vietnam. Currently, the list of pesticides permitted for use has 460 active ingredients with 4,537 trade names, of which biological pesticides account for 18.88%. The amount of organic fertilizer used accounts for 24.8% in crop production; the number of organic fertilizer products recognized for circulation increased more than 10 times; the number of factories producing organic fertilizers increased 2.3 times, and the capacity increased 1.8 times.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/giu-vung-thi-truong-xuat-khau-nong-san-chu-luc-post859141.html