Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Of the six ASEAN nations, onlyVietnam posted an increase in exports for 2020, up 7 percent to 282.66 billionUSD, according to The Straits Times.
The Malaysian newspaper quoted data from the Japan ExternalTrade Organisation (JETRO) as saying that exports from six ASEAN countries,including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines andVietnam, fell 2.2 percent last year compared with 2019, with total exports of 1.35trillion USD.
JETROsaid Vietnam's exports to Japan dropped by 5.2 percent, but exports to theUnited States rose by 25.7 percent and to China by 18 percent.
However, Vietnam's growing trade surplus with Washington andHanoi's interventions in the foreign exchange market prompted the US TreasuryDepartment last December to label the country as a currency manipulator for thefirst time.
Amongthe other ASEAN nations mentioned in the report, the Philippines logged a 10.1 percentfall in exports, followed by a contraction of 6.0 percent in Thailand, 4.1 percentin Singapore and 2.6 percent each in Malaysia and Indonesia.
It said the combined trade surplus of the six countries tripled to 133.66billion USD, as easing energy prices and shrinking domestic demand led tosteeper declines in imports than exports.
Thailand's trade surplus surged 144.5 percent, compared with an 83.5 percentincrease for Vietnam, Singapore 43.9 and Malaysia 25.6. The Philippines narrowedits trade deficit by 46.3 percent to 21.84 billion USD while Indonesia chalkedup a trade surplus of 21.74 billion USD, a turnaround from a deficit of 3.6billion USD in 2019.
Singapore accounted for 27.4 percent of the six countries' total trade by valuelast year, followed by Vietnam at 21.3 percent, Thailand 17.1 percent, Malaysia16.5 percent, Indonesia 11.9 percent and the Philippines 5.8 percent./.
Import-export activities were a highlight of Vietnam’s economy during the 2015-2020 period. In 2020, trade surplus reached 19.1 billion USD, marking the highest in five consecutive years recording trade surplus since 2016.
Vietnam gained growth in the export of cassava chips and cassava-made products in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development.
The central province of Quang Nam is set to become a hub for the medicinal plant industry, with Ngoc Linh ginseng designated as the core crop, under the Prime Minister's decision issued earlier this year.
The North-South Expressway project is scheduled for completion by 2030, aiming to establish the groundwork for Vietnam’s modern railway industry and stimulate regional economic development, positioning the country for a significant economic leap in the era of national rise.
The probe, initiated on June 11 following a petition by the US Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, targets products classified under HS Code 4412 and 9403 imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) 
