Electronics firms boost raw material reserves sevenfold amid supply concerns

Some electronics businesses increase their raw material reserves by 6-7 times. Photo: baodautu.vn

Some businesses have increased their raw material reserves from around $100 million to $700 million, Trinh Thi Thu Hien, deputy director of the MoIT's Agency of Foreign Trade, told a seminar on improving import-export growth in Hanoi on October 8.

The stockpiling comes as Vietnam records its first trade deficit in more than a decade, despite continued strong growth in international trade.

According to the MoIT, total trade turnover reached more than $888 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 30.4 per cent on-year. Exports rose 24.5 per cent to over $434 billion, while imports surged 36.7 per cent to more than $453 billion.

With imports outpacing exports, Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of $19.4 billion in the first nine months, following 10 consecutive years of trade surpluses.

“Along with machinery and equipment for new investment projects and production expansion, businesses and manufacturers are mainly importing raw materials for the production of domestic consumer goods and export goods,” Hien said. “These are factors that need to be fully considered when assessing the impact of imports on the trade balance.”

In September, the inward shipments reached $58.21 billion, up 6 per cent on month. Cumulative imports for the first nine months stood at $453.72 billion, climbing 36.7 per cent on year. Inbound shipments from domestic enterprises contributed $118.17 billion, up 23.5 per cent, while foreign-invested enterprises accounted for $335.55 billion, an increase of 42 per cent.

A total of 45 import categories each surpassed $1 billion in value during the nine months, representing 94.5 per cent of total imports, including six categories each exceeding $10 billion (63.1 per cent of total import value).

Regarding the import structure, means of production accounted for $426.92 billion or 94.1 per cent of total imports. Within this group, machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts represented 58.3 per cent, while raw materials, fuels, and supplies made up 35.8 per cent. Consumer goods accounted for $26.80 billion, or 5.9 per cent.

Electronics FIEs asked to expand Vietnamese supplier networks Foreign-invested electronics companies are being urged to expand their Vietnamese supplier networks and help domestic businesses move deeper into global supply chains.

Green transition opens new doors for electronics suppliers Vietnam's electronics suppliers are adapting to new global procurement standards, with environmental, social, and governance, carbon data, traceability, and smart manufacturing increasingly shaping access to higher-value supply chains.

Electronics exports reach $175.4 billion in the first nine months Exports electronics products reached $175.4 billion in the first three quarters of the year, surpassing the figure in 2025.

Electronics funding will be won via a capable ecosystem: SGS Vietnam is under growing pressure to deepen its industrial ecosystem as regional rivals compete for a new generation of electronics, semiconductor, and high-tech manufacturing investment.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics to add $1.85 billion semiconductor investment in Thai Nguyen Samsung Electro-Mechanics, part of South Korean conglomerate Samsung Group, plans to invest $1.85 billion to expand semiconductor packaging substrate production in Vietnam, meeting growing demand from AI server and high-performance processor markets.