Vietnam’s total merchandise trade reached $1.01 trillion in the first ten months of 2026, up 32.3% year‑on‑year. The scale of this growth makes the country’s trade performance worth studying, especially as it brings new policy questions.

Exports amounted to about $499 billion, up 27.4% YoY, far above the 2026 growth target of 15‑16%. Processed goods accounted for 87.4% of export shipments, with strong sales to China, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and ASEAN markets.

Vietnam recorded an estimated trade surplus of $6.8 billion in October, the second month in a row with a surplus. This narrowed the cumulative trade deficit for the first ten months to around $12.7 billion, confirming the positive momentum of both imports and exports.

By mid‑September 2026, Vietnamese products faced 327 trade‑defence investigations in 27 markets, including 27 new cases in the first nine months – more than the total recorded in 2025. The Ministry of Industry and Trade says it will strengthen early‑warning capacity and diversify markets to lower this risk.

The record trade volume shows how fast economic growth can create both opportunities and vulnerabilities. Policymakers and businesses should therefore diversify export destinations and keep ready systems to handle trade‑defence investigations.