Vietnam Records Drop in Imports from China and Exports to US in August

Vietnamese customs data released on Thursday, September 11, revealed that, since a 20% tariff on shipments to the US went into effect, Vietnam’s exports to the US decreased 2% from July to $13.94 billion in August.

Additionally, the Vietnamese customs department reported that imports from China decreased by 2% in August compared to July. Vietnam has been accused on numerous occasions by the Trump administration of serving as a transshipment hub for Chinese goods bound for the US.

After aggregate figures were released over the weekend, the report provided a breakdown of trade with individual nations and revealed that Vietnam’s shipments to the United States increased 26.4% from a year earlier to $99.05 billion for the first eight months of 2025.

Starting on August 7, Vietnam’s largest market, the United States, imposed a 20% tariff, while third-country transshipments through Vietnam are subject to a 40% levy.

According to the report, August exports to the US increased 18.33% over the same month the previous year.

The data stated that Vietnam’s manufacturing sectors still mainly rely on imports of supplies and machinery from Beijing.

China’s imports reached $117.93 billion in the first eight months of 2025, up 27% from the same period the previous year, according to the report.

The World Bank lowered its GDP growth forecast to 6.6% from 6.8% on Monday, stating that the export-driven economy was expected to moderate over the remainder of 2025.

Oxford Economics cautioned that Vietnam’s export growth was expected to continue easing as a result of the tariffs. This year, the government wants GDP growth to be between 8.3% and 8.5%.

The goal is “difficult,” according to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, but “we must reach it, however difficult it is.”