Vietnam Records $16.65 Billion Trade Deficit in First Half

Releasing the country's socio-economic data for the second quarter and the first half of the year on July 3, NSO Director Nguyen Thi Huong said Vietnam sustained positive growth across most industries and sectors despite a challenging international economic environment. Of the six-month total, agricultural products generated 18.59 billion USD, up 0.2% year-on-year; aquatic products 5.7 billion USD, up 11.4%; forestry products 9.2 billion USD, up 4.6%; livestock products 375.8 million USD, up 34.6%; and salt 7.7 million USD, up 39.8%. A report by the Ministry of Finance on the first year of implementing the resolution highlighted fresh momentum in diversifying capital sources and removing administrative bottlenecks. In the first six months, total retail sales and consumer service revenue amounted to an estimated 3,889.5 trillion VND, up 12.9% year-on-year. After excluding price factors, real growth stood at 7.3%, reflecting a solid recovery in domestic purchasing power and consumer demand. Including additional registered capital, total capital flowing into the market reached nearly 3.1 quadrillion VND, marking an 11.3% year-on-year increase. As of June 30, total registered FDI, including newly registered capital, additional capital for existing projects and foreign investors' capital contributions and share purchases, rose 61% year-on-year to 34.65 billion USD. Releasing the second-quarter and first-half socio-economic report, NSO Director General Nguyen Thi Huong said June’s CPI was still up 3.21% from December 2025 and 4.69% higher than a year earlier. The agreement marks a meaningful evolution in the relationship between the two organisations: from project-level collaboration to a long-term strategic framework aimed at bringing international standards to bear on the planning, development, and operation of Sun Group's aviation infrastructure portfolio. According to the Da Nang Statistics Office, total social investment exceeded 50.98 trillion VND (about 1.94 billion USD) in the first six months, up 31.5% from the same period last year. The strong growth reflects investors' confidence in the city's business environment, as well as the effectiveness of its investment promotion policies and efforts to accelerate project implementation. Services remained the key growth driver, expanding 8.89% in the first six months and accounting for 54% of GRDP while contributing 56% of overall growth. Transport recorded the strongest performance with growth of 13.68%, followed by trade at 8.4% and finance at 8.21%. Meanwhile, the real estate sector continued to face difficulties. Private passenger vehicles account for the overwhelming majority, with 369,849 battery electric passenger cars in operation, alongside 3,396 electric trucks and 1,571 electric buses. Supporting industries are no longer simply auxiliary manufacturing sectors. They have become the foundation for enhancing industrial self-reliance, increasing localisation, improving competitiveness and enabling businesses to integrate more deeply into regional and global supply chains. Samsung plans to invest an additional 1 billion USD in Vietnam this year as it advances medium- and long-term expansion plans across electronics, display manufacturing and electro-mechanics. Hoang Minh Chien, Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said trade promotion activities are undergoing a significant shift from broad-based support to more in-depth assistance, with enhancing business competitiveness at the core. Rather than merely facilitating participation in trade fairs or business matching events, current programmes focus on brand building, market intelligence, access to new technologies and compliance with international standards. With the current trading band of +/- 5%, the ceiling rate applicable for commercial banks during the day is 26,463 VND/USD, and the floor rate 23,943 VND/USD. According to the Department of Finance, as of May 31, the city had nearly 21,000 active FDI projects worth over 143.3 billion USD, remaining Vietnam’s leading FDI destination. In the first half of 2026, FDI reached over 6.8 billion USD. The police determined that, from 2024, this ring has completed 141 shipments, smuggling more than 28,000 diamonds of various types from Hong Kong (China) into Vietnam for sale. Ho Chi Minh City is entering a new phase of development with the ambition of becoming a green, modern and smart global metropolis, in line with the spirit of the Politburo's Resolution No. 09 on building and developing the city in a new era. Toyota Vietnam (TMV) posted a 12% month-on-month increase in vehicle sales in June, with hybrid deliveries surging 89%, reflecting growing demand for fuel-efficient and lower-emission vehicles. Construction of the new facility, located at the Tam Hiep Port Logistics and Industrial Park in the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, began in July 2025. Equipped with advanced manufacturing technologies, it is designed to produce cleaning equipment that meets international standards for quality, safety and sustainability. The conclusion of the negotiations will mark the beginning of a new phase of cooperation, laying a solid foundation for the promotion of trade and investment between the two sides, while also expanding collaboration in areas of mutual interest. Accordingly, the price of E5 RON92 petrol is capped at 19,730 VND (0.75 USD) per litre, down 1,055 VND, while E10 RON95-III is priced at no more than 20,415 VND per litre, down 788 VND. According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the country welcomed around 10.6 million international visitors in the first five months of 2026, up nearly 15% year on year and the highest figure recorded in many years. Singapore remained one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing source markets during the period. Copyright, VietnamPlus, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Editor-in-chief, Mr. Tran Tien Duan.