Vietnamese Companies Accelerate “Greening” to Boost Exports

According to the Ministry of Finance, total import–export turnover in July reached USD 82.2 billion, up 16.8% year-on-year. For the first seven months, trade reached nearly USD 514.7 billion (+16.3% YoY) with a trade surplus of about USD 10.2 billion. Industrial production rose 8.5% in July and 8.6% in the first seven months, including manufacturing up 10.3%. Vietnam’s PMI climbed from 48.9 in June to 52.4 in July, signaling a clear improvement in overall manufacturing health.

Many companies are now embedding green development strategies into sustainable export plans. Operating on every continent and exporting to 35 countries, with 90% of recycled paper output shipped—mainly to the U.S.—JP Corelex Vietnam Co., Ltd. says it has set core sustainability goals tied to environmental protection while producing high-quality products for international markets.

“Our products not only meet Vietnamese technical standards but also comply with global paper association standards and international certifications such as FSC, RoHS, and FDA. Every shipment undergoes full testing. We’re proud that for nearly two years, we’ve had no quality complaints from overseas customers,” shared Mr. Vu Trong Cong, Deputy General Director. The company has also invested in a biomass boiler, a 2.5 MW rooftop solar system, electric forklifts, and high-efficiency motors to cut emissions—aligning growth with environmental stewardship.

Similarly, as a Samsung supplier, MCNEX VINA Electronics (Ninh Binh) continuously researches and launches new technologies and models—one factor behind its rising revenue in recent years. The company’s export value is now around USD 700 million, ~20% higher than pre-COVID levels. Mr. Nguyen Van Quyet, Head of Import–Export, said the firm is pushing for larger orders and ongoing quality upgrades to sustain export momentum.

In agriculture, on August 15, Nafoods Group signed a USD 20 million cooperation agreement with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) to expand production, advance green agriculture, and bring Vietnamese fruit to global markets. Earlier, the company partnered with the ResponsAbility fund to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and optimize its value chain.

Across agri-processing, textiles, and building materials, more companies are adopting clean technologies, reusing by-products, and meeting stringent market standards. These efforts show that “greening” is not only inevitable—it also opens the door to brand value upgrades and wider export opportunities.

Diversify Markets, Leverage FTAs, Aim for Sustainability

Economists note that, amid ongoing geopolitical volatility, widening “trade storms,” and rising tariffs, exporters—especially industrial manufacturers—face major challenges. Large economies continue to tighten rules on origin tracing and environmental standards.

Against this backdrop, on August 12, 2025, the Prime Minister issued Official Telegram No. 133/CĐ-TTg, directing ministries to focus on measures to achieve 8.3–8.5% GDP growth in 2025, laying the foundation for double-digit growth in 2026–2030.

For industry and trade, the Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) to lead restructuring of industry, prioritize new technologies, and develop high-quality human resources for strategic, foundational, emerging, and supporting sectors. Targets include industrial value-added growth of 9.6–9.8% in 2025 and manufacturing growth of 11.2–11.5%. MOIT will select and develop key product groups aligned with the national brand and run deep trade-promotion programs in priority, niche, and new markets (Halal, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Brazil, North Africa). The 2025 goods-export growth goal is 12% with a USD 30 billion trade surplus.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and MOIT) will open technical market access and accelerate exports to China, the Middle East, South America, Africa, and ASEAN, while guiding businesses to meet market regulations—aiming for USD 65 billion in agri-forestry-fishery exports.

MOIT, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and local authorities, will roll out eco-labels for sustainable products; and organize green produce weeks, green fairs, and Vietnamese goods weeks to connect supply and demand and foster green consumption.

At the “Vietnam Import–Export: Honor – Announce – Connect – Cooperate” event on August 1, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien underscored three strategic orientations to overcome difficulties, boost trade, and help achieve 8.3–8.5% growth in 2025 and double-digit growth thereafter:

1. Policy & integration. Elevate policy quality and internalize FTA commitments; connect local firms to global value chains; and provide timely market intelligence—especially for new and high-potential markets. Modernize trade promotion, grow cross-border e-commerce, and strengthen supply chains. Proactively help enterprises utilize FTAs, speed up FTA upgrades and new deals, and reinforce trade-remedy tools with early-warning systems to handle international disputes and protect Vietnamese firms.
2. Remove bottlenecks. Cross-ministerial and local cooperation to ease production–export hurdles, open more markets (especially for agricultural and seafood products), and prioritize export credit so businesses can access capital.
3. Enterprise agility. Businesses, associations, and sectors must stay market-close and respond nimbly; expand official-channel exports tied to branding; proactively acquire market information, train go-to-market skills, and contribute to policy design and FTA talks.

With the Government maintaining macro stability and confidence among investors and consumers—and ministries like MOIT stepping up forecasting and flexible, proactive governance—plus enterprises fully exploiting FTA opportunities, adopting digital technologies, upgrading quality, and meeting high-bar market standards, Vietnam’s trade is positioned to break through in 2025: meeting or even exceeding annual targets and strengthening competitiveness across global supply chains.

Speaking to Industry and Trade News, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thuong Lang (Senior Lecturer, Institute of International Trade & Economics, National Economics University) said that after nearly 40 years of Doi Moi, Vietnamese businesses have learned many valuable lessons—especially the ability to adjust quickly to market fluctuations. Companies are increasingly flexible and confident, focused on long-term stability, and accelerating technology adoption, digital transformation, and e-commerce. Based on results to date, 2025 total trade could reach a record USD 950–1,000 billion.

Quick Highlights (for skimmers)

• USD 514.7B trade in 7M-2025 (+16.3% YoY); USD 10.2B surplus.
• PMI 52.4 in July → manufacturing expansion.
• Firms invest in biomass, solar (2.5 MW), electric forklifts, high-efficiency motors.
• Nafoods–FMO: USD 20M for green agriculture; earlier ResponsAbility partnership.
• 2025 targets: 12% export growth, USD 30B surplus; USD 65B agri-forestry-fishery exports.