Vietnam–China trade targets 300 billion USD

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and China still has ample room for growth. On April 15 in Beijing, during the visit of Vietnam’s General Secretary and President Tô Lâm, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Trịnh Việt Hùng and China’s Director-General of the General Administration of Customs Sun Mai Quan signed a phytosanitary protocol for grapefruit and lemons exported from Vietnam to China, opening official import channels for the two fruits.

Protocol signing and legal framework for official exports

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said China is an important market with strong potential for Vietnam’s fruit products due to its large consumption base and rising demand. Grapefruit and lemons are among the high-potential products increasingly favored by Chinese consumers.

Signing the protocol is expected to open opportunities to tap Vietnam’s production potential, complete the legal framework for official exports, improve market consumption efficiency, raise incomes for producers, and increase the sector’s value added. It is also intended to create momentum to reorganize production toward standardization, improve quality, strengthen pest control and traceability, and meet growing requirements in international agrifood trade.

Trade momentum and key figures

With geographic and consumer similarities and close proximity, bilateral trade has grown steadily and sustainably. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Sinh Nhật Tân said economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and China continues to expand, with a growing scale and high complementarity between the two economies.

China remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner, while Vietnam is China’s leading trading partner within ASEAN. The deputy minister noted that two-way trade in 2025 reached 256 billion USD, up 24.7% from the previous year—the highest growth rate on record.

According to data cited from Vietnam’s General Statistics Office, bilateral trade continued to rise in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 66.9 billion USD. Exports from Vietnam to China were 16.8 billion USD, up 26.4% year-on-year, while imports from China were 50.1 billion USD, up 31.6%.

Connectivity agreements and outlook

Bilateral trade is supported by numerous cooperation agreements and multilateral trade deals, including the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), with expectations that trade could reach 300 billion USD in the near future.

The Vietnam Trade Office in China said China is a large consumer market for goods overall and for agricultural and forestry products and seafood in particular, making market opening significant for many Vietnamese products.

Import controls and compliance requirements

Trade Counselor Nguyễn Đức Lại said that alongside market opening, China is tightening import controls. Vietnamese businesses should understand and comply with Chinese requirements on import standards, packaging, and origin tracing.

He also emphasized that Vietnam should invest in and adopt technology across production, processing, and storage to raise value and quality. “For years, the shift from raw products to finished goods with higher value addition has been slow. This must be accelerated to both raise product value and address issues arising during peak agricultural harvests,” Lai said.

Sector targets and market expectations

The Vietnam Trade Office in China recommended intensifying trade promotion activities in the domestic market and in northern and northwestern China, where living standards are high and demand for premium fresh produce is strong. It also urged investment in cold storage and logistics to preserve agricultural products, reduce spoilage, and avoid shortages when seasons end.

Fruits and vegetables are expected to export over 5 billion USD. Nguyễn Thanh Bình, Chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, said that with other markets facing difficulties from rising logistics costs due to conflicts in the Middle East, China will play an even more important role for Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable sector.

For 2026, the sector targets exports of around 10 billion USD, with China expected to account for more than 5 billion USD. To meet rising standards, the sector must ensure product quality in line with general requirements and specific conditions of the Chinese market.

China’s updated enterprise registration rules

The article noted that China has updated its rules on registering plant-origin food export enterprises, shifting from Order 248 to Order 280 of the General Administration of Customs (GACC). Companies without registration should promptly register to be eligible to export from June 1, 2026.