The most valuable Vietnamese imports include food items namely lobsters and frozen beef. Processed petroleum appear among Vietnam’s 20 highest value imports.
The following list also shows on which product categories Vietnamese importers spent the most. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level. This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which Vietnam has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations. Innovation can transform these disadvantages into lucrative business opportunities.
For the most recent year’s data, please see the link to Vietnam’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Vietnamese Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Vietnamese importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each imported product since 2013.
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: US$19.1 billion (Up 88.5% from 2013 to 2017)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $13.5 billion (Up 58%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $8.3 billion (Up 12.6%)
- Miscellaneous machine electrical parts: $4.7 billion (Up 5199.3%)
- Crustaceans (including lobsters): $3.7 billion (Up 1,361%)
- Liquid crystal/laser/optical tools: $3.7 billion (Up 5,037%)
- Other than warp-knit fabrics: $3.5 billion (Up 107%)
- Printed circuits: $2.9 billion (Up 101.9%)
- TV/radio/radar device parts: $2.6 billion (Up 273.8%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $2.6 billion (Up 160%)
- Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products: $2.4 billion (Down -7.1%)
- Synthetic yarn woven fabrics: $2.4 billion (Up 161.8%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $2.3 billion (Up 211.2%)
- Flat-rolled other alloy steel products: $2.3 billion (Up 171.2%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2.2 billion (Up 77.1%)
- Ethylene polymers: $2 billion (Up 18.3%)
- Frozen beef: $2 billion (Up 3,694%)
- Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $2 billion (Up 69.8%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $2 billion (Up 85.1%)
- Printing machinery: $1.7 billion (Up 104.8%)
Among these product categories, electrical parts of miscellaneous machines posted the greatest increase in Vietnamese import purchases with a 5,199% gain in value over the most recent 5-year period.
In second place was imported liquid crystal/laser/optical tools which grew 5,037%.
Also posting impressive gains were Vietnamese imports of frozen beef (up by 3,694%) trailed by crustaceans including lobsters (up by 1,361%).
Encompassing all goods, the average increase in value for Vietnamese imports was a 76.7% appreciation from 2013 to 2017.
See also Vietnam’s Top 10 Exports and Vietnam’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 14, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on May 14, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on May 14, 2018