Top 10 notable events of Vietnam’s industry and trade sector in 2025

The year-end review ceremony of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2025. Photo: baocongthuong.vn

On December 19, at the year-end review ceremony of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2025, the 10 most notable events of the industry and trade sector were highlighted.

First, it was a breakthrough year for policy advisory work and institutional improvement, creating a new runway for development ahead of the nation's new era of advancement.

Second, industrial production recovered strongly, achieving growth of 9.5 per cent, while the processing and manufacturing sector grew by 10.6 per cent, the highest level in five years. This momentum provides for a gradual transformation from a production workshop to deeper participation in global supply chains.

Third, the supply of strategic input materials for production was well secured; the domestic market developed robustly, growing by nearly 10 per cent. Vietnamese goods accounted for 90 per cent of distribution channels, creating a new internal engine for growth.

Fourth, import-export turnover reached a historic peak of more than $920 billion, with exports exceeding $470 billion. Vietnam entered the top 15 trading nations worldwide, ranked second in ASEAN, and recorded 10 consecutive years of a trade surplus, achieving a record surplus despite a challenging and unfavourable global context.

Fifth, e-commerce has been accelerating in a more sustainable manner, surpassing $31 billion, accounting for 10 per cent of total retail sales and two-thirds of the digital economy. Vietnam maintained its position among the world's top 10 fastest-growing e-commerce markets and ranked third in ASEAN by scale.

Sixth, trade promotion achieved a strong breakthrough, elevating national position, brand value, and soft power, with Vietnam's ranking rising by seven places thanks to trade performance.

In 2025, a dramatic shift in trade promotion thinking was recorded. No longer confined to in-person events, the effective use of digital platforms and cross-border e-commerce marketplaces brought Vietnamese products closer to international consumers, turning challenges from the pandemic into leveraging for sustainable export growth.

Seventh, competition management, consumer protection, and trade remedies to support domestic production made significant progress, particularly after five years of implementing the Secretariat's Directive No.30-CT/TW.

Eighth, organisational streamlining continued alongside resolution and administrative procedure reductions. The sector proactively took the lead in deploying officers to groundswell levels and supporting the two-tier local government model.

Ninth, economic integration continued to be comprehensively renewed: the launch of the FTA Index, expansion of global market space, flexible and effective responses to US tariff policies, and further diversification of markets and supply chains.

By the end of 2025, Vietnam had signed and implemented 17 free trade agreements (FTAs). This extensive FTA network enables Vietnam to access most major global markets, placing the country among the world's leading nations in terms of the number of FTAs ​​concluded. It serves as a “golden passport” for Vietnamese goods to reach global markets.

Tenth, an energy breakthrough: Vietnam ranked among the leading countries in ASEAN and the top 20 worldwide in total installed power generation capacity across all energy sources. The country launched a series of billion-dollar gas-to-power projects, and completed the 500 kV Lao Cai - Vinh Yen transmission line and a range of other key energy projects, underpinned by strategic energy policies.

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