(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has issued a set of solutions aimed at boosting exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to reach the target of USD 65 billion in 2025.
This plan is based on a projection that total export turnover for the second half of the year will reach USD 31.6 billion, down 4.8% year-on-year, with an estimated loss of USD 1.6 billion if current retaliatory tariffs remain in place. In the first half of the year, export value was estimated at USD 33.5 billion and imports at USD 23.5 billion, representing year-on-year increases of 14.3% and 23.5%, respectively.
The ministry has outlined a roadmap: total exports should exceed USD 17 billion in Q2, reach USD 14–15 billion or more in Q3, and surpass USD 16 billion in Q4.
A farmer in Nga Nam town (Soc Trang) harvesting winter-spring rice. Taken on March 10, 2020. Credit: Nguyet Nhi.
To meet the 2025 target, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment calls for the maximum use of the current tax deferral period, balancing the trade deficit with the US market, seizing short-term export opportunities in Q2 and early Q3, and maximizing export value in the second half of the year.
Forestry products, especially wood and wood-based goods, face the greatest pressure from US tariffs due to their large market share (67% of total export turnover). The 2025 export goal is USD 18.5 billion, a 7% increase over 2024 (with USD 8.4 billion in the first half and USD 10.1 billion in the second half).
The ministry recommends that businesses continue to identify and maintain product lines suitable for export to the US. To help reduce the trade imbalance, companies are also encouraged to increase imports of logs, sawn timber, and wood materials from the US.
At the same time, businesses should expand exports to Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the Middle East—markets with strong resort development potential—to offset the decline in major markets. Participation in international trade fairs should also be enhanced to promote products directly to these markets.
For fisheries, which face the second-greatest pressure from US tariffs, the 2025 export goal is USD 10.5 billion, up 4.3% from 2024, with USD 5.4 billion expected in the second half of the year.
The ministry notes that retaliatory tariffs have had a significant impact on the fisheries sector, especially compared to competitors like India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Ecuador. In addition, consumer demand—particularly for shrimp and salmon—has shown a downward trend in early 2025.
Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment proposes boosting pangasius exports, maintaining market share, and expanding sales of fresh seafood to China.
In addition to forestry and fisheries, to achieve the USD 65 billion target, the ministry has also outlined measures to promote exports of key agricultural products such as coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, tea, and rubber.