The first quarter of 2026 witnessed a notable performance in Vietnam's agricultural, forestry, and fishery exports, reaching nearly $16.7 billion. This marks a 5.9% increase compared to the same period last year, despite facing challenges in the international market, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment during its regular press briefing on April 1. 

In March 2026 alone, the export turnover was estimated at $6.02 billion, a significant 47.8% rise from the previous month, indicating a clear recovery in production and export cycles. However, compared to March 2025, there was a slight decrease of 1.5%, highlighting ongoing international market challenges.

Breaking down the export figures by sector, agricultural products continued to play a pivotal role, with export values reaching $8.93 billion, a 4.1% increase. Notably, livestock products recorded the highest growth, with exports valued at $197.7 million, up by 54.3%. This positive trend suggests an improvement in the competitiveness and market expansion of the livestock industry.

The fishery sector also maintained a strong growth trajectory, with export turnover reaching $2.62 billion, a 13.3% increase. In contrast, forestry products faced difficulties, with a turnover of $4.11 billion, a 2.4% decrease, reflecting challenges in the wood industry due to declining demand in major markets. Smaller sectors like salt and production inputs, despite their modest scale, showed robust growth, with increases of 56.7% and 31.7%, respectively.

In terms of market regions, Asia remained the largest destination for Vietnam's agro-forestry-fishery products, accounting for 45.1% of the total market share. Exports to this region grew by 15.3% in the first three months of the year, underscoring stable consumption demand and Vietnam's geographical advantages. The Americas and Europe followed, with market shares of 20.7% and 16.2%, respectively. However, exports to the Americas decreased by 3.4%, while Europe saw a slight increase of 4.8%. Africa and Oceania, though smaller markets, experienced significant fluctuations, with a sharp decline of 29% in Africa and a strong increase of 20.1% in Oceania.

On a more specific market level, China remained Vietnam's largest partner, with a market share of 22.1%, growing by 37.6% compared to the previous year. The US ranked second with an 18.3% share but saw a decrease of 5.2%, while Japan accounted for 7.1%, with a slight increase of 0.7%.

Fruits and vegetables emerged as a standout sector in the first quarter of 2026, with total export value reaching $1.54 billion, a remarkable 32.1% increase compared to the same period last year. China continued to be the primary market for these products, accounting for 54% of the total export value. The US and South Korea followed, with export shares of 8% and 4.3%, respectively. Compared to the previous year, the export value of fruits and vegetables to China increased by 76.2%, to the US by 21.4%, and to South Korea by 4.1%. Among the top 15 export markets, Cambodia saw the most significant growth, with a 3.7-fold increase, while Thailand experienced the largest decline, at 28.1%.

Pepper also recorded impressive growth, with export volumes reaching 64.6 thousand tons and a value of $417.5 million, increasing by 36.8% and 28.8%, respectively. However, the average export price decreased by 5.9%, reflecting competitive pressures and market supply.

Conversely, coffee, rice, and rubber faced challenges due to declining export prices. In March 2026, coffee exports reached 210 thousand tons, valued at $956.2 million. Over the first three months, export volumes totaled 577.3 thousand tons, a 12.6% increase, but the value only reached $2.71 billion, a 6.4% decrease. 

Similarly, rubber exports also faced price declines. In the first quarter of 2026, rubber exports reached 411.2 thousand tons, valued at $751.8 million, an 8% increase in volume but only a 2.4% increase in value. The average export price fell by 5.1%, to $1,828.3 per ton. 

For rice, Vietnam exported 2.3 million tons in the first three months, valued at $1.11 billion. Although the volume increased slightly by 0.2%, the value decreased by 7.8% due to an 8% drop in average export prices, down to $480.1 per ton. The Philippines remained the largest market, accounting for over half of Vietnam's total rice exports. Exports to China increased significantly by 2.5 times, while the Ghanaian market saw a steep decline.

Cashew exports in the first quarter of 2026 reached 120.9 thousand tons, valued at $823.5 million, with slight decreases in both volume and value. The average export price also fell by 0.8%, indicating a stable but unremarkable market.

The fishery sector showed positive growth, with March 2026 export values estimated at $900 million, bringing the total for the first three months to $2.62 billion, a 13.3% increase compared to the same period in 2025. 

In contrast, the export value of wood and wood products in March 2026 was estimated at $1.22 billion, bringing the total for the first three months to $3.81 billion, a 3.5% decrease compared to the same period in 2025. 

Source: VnEconomy