A container is loaded onto a cargo ship while docked at Hai Phong port in Hai Phong, Vietnam, April 16, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Imports in July rose 17.8% to $40 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $2.27 billion for the month, the National Statistics Office said in a report.
For the first seven months of this year, exports rose 14.8% over the same period of 2024 to $262.44 billion, while imports were up 17.9% to $252.26 billion, translating into a trade surplus of $10.18 billion.
The government said on Monday that imports and exports both increased sharply because firms were ramping up production to meet new orders.
Goods from Vietnam, a regional manufacturing powerhouse, have been slapped with a 20% tariff in the United States by the Trump administration.
The United States was Vietnam's largest export market over the January-July period, with shipments totalling $85.1 billion, the NSO said. China was Vietnam's largest source of imports, with a value of $101.5 billion.
Consumer prices in July rose 3.19% from a year earlier, the NSO said, adding that retail sales in July were up 9.2%.
