Vietnam, a nation previously ravaged by war which eventually emerged as a major tourism destination in Southeast Asia, imported a lot more fruits and vegetables from the United States of America resulting in a jump of 67% to US$900 million, according to a news report by VnExpress. Vietnam’s exports to America, however, were not too great which resulted in a trade surplus of more than $350 million for America on fruits and vegetables.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the VnExpress news report. Some parts in boldface…
U.S. fruits and vegetables are pouring into Vietnam, with 2025 imports rising by nearly 67% to US$900 million, but Vietnamese exports to the U.S. are not keeping pace.
This marked a 10-fold jump in imports from the U.S. from a decade ago, with cherries, apples, grapes, and oranges being among the top fruits bought, according to Vietnam Customs.
Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit exports to the U.S. were worth $546 million last year, a minuscule 1.49% share in a market is dominated by suppliers such as Mexico, Canada and South American countries.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said the U.S. is a very large market but also one marked by stringent technical standards and also long geographical distance for Vietnam.
Vietnam’s position as the 13 largest fruit and vegetable supplier to the U.S. is owed to the great efforts made by businesses in recent years, he added.
There is room for growth as the list of fresh fruits permitted for export to the U.S. continues to expand, and now includes pomelo, mango, dragon fruit, longan, lychee, star apple, rambutan and, most recently, coconut.
Consumer trends in the U.S. are shifting toward novel fruits, health-oriented products and more deeply processed items such as frozen fruit, dried fruits and juices, with Vietnamese products like coconut, durian and pomelo becoming increasingly popular.
But exports do face many challenges. Starting this month the U.S. began tightening regulations on traceability and food safety, particularly with respect to pesticide residues.
Vietnamese oversight of planting area codes and packing facilities remains uneven, which threatens to bring warnings or even temporary import suspensions by the U.S.
The high logistics costs due to the distance make it difficult for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables to compete on price with suppliers close to the U.S. such as in Mexico, Peru or Thailand.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you consider Vietnam’s heavy importing of American fruits and vegetables in 2025 big economic victories for Trump’s America? What do you think is the main reason as to why Vietnam purchases so much fruits and vegetables from the United States? Do you think Trump’s tariffs are already helping American producers of fruits and vegetables?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
+++++
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
Author Carlo Carrasco 