According to the statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the import and export of goods between Vietnam and Japan has always achieved a high growth rate, an average annual growth of 13.9% in recent years. The total import-export turnover between the two countries in 2018 reached USD 37.9 billion, USD 33.4 billion, up 13.5% compared to 2017; in which exports to Japan in 2018 reached USD 18.85 billion, up 12.5% compared to 2017. The trade balance between Vietnam and Japan is always in a relatively balanced state.
Unit: USD billion
| Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| Import | 14.69 | 14.13 | 14.67 | 16.86 | 18.85 |
| Export | 12.93 | 14.36 | 15.06 | 16.98 | 19.01 |
| Turnover | 27.62 | 28.49 | 29.73 | 33.84 | 37.86 |
| Balance of trade | 1.76 | -0.23 | -0.39 | -0.12 | -0.16 |
According to statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, import of goods from Japan in the first 9 months of 2019 reached over USD 14.18 billion, up 2.3% over the same period in 2018.
In particular, September 2019 reached USD 1.79 billion, up 0.9% compared to the previous month and also increased by 14.2% compared to September 2018.
Export of goods to Japan in the first 9 months reached USD 14.98 billion, up 9.1% over the same period in 2018. So, Vietnam had a trade surplus to this market of USD 799.39 million. (In the first 9 months of 2018, Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of USD 142.01 million).
There are 3 groups of products imported from Japan valued at over USD billion: machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts; computers, electronic products and components; iron and steel.
According to statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the total import turnover of Vietnam’s goods from the Japanese market in 2019 reached USD 19.52 billion, up 2.71% compared to last year.
7 groups of imported goods achieved turnover of over 500 million dollars and less than 1 billion dollars: Plastic products; fabrics of all kinds; automobile components and spare parts; iron and steel scrap; Products from iron and steel; Chemical products; Plastic materials.
Unit: USD
| Commodity | 12/2019 | Compared to 11/2019 (%) | 2019 | Compared to 2018 (%) | Propotion |
| Import | 1,759,187,659 | 6.79 | 19,525,519,621 | 2.71 | 100.00 |
| Machinery, equipment, tools and other spare parts | 408,745,554 | 5.48 | 4,694,529,337 | 5.91 | 24.04 |
| Computers, electronic products and components | 418,519,303 | 8.81 | 4,488,975,333 | 10.63 | 22.99 |
| Iron, Steel | 117,719,335 | 17.98 | 1,358,341,896 | -14.57 | 6.96 |
| Products from plastic | 69,041,813 | 0.12 | 841,318,689 | -2.12 | 4.31 |
| Fabric | 74,625,924 | 2.00 | 820,103,221 | 8.99 | 4.20 |
| Car components, spare parts | 56,850,693 | 26.28 | 721,600,030 | -7.72 | 3.70 |
| Iron and steel scrap | 72,302,900 | 38.81 | 701,869,091 | 21.61 | 3.59 |
| Products from iron and steel | 45,851,660 | 3.09 | 568,268,042 | -1.76 | 2.91 |
| Chemical products | 49,607,948 | 4.62 | 527,831,245 | 10.99 | 2.70 |
| Plastic materials | 46,662,146 | 14.08 | 503,112,975 | 2.55 | 2.58 |
| Chemistry | 33,836,866 | (17.91) | 409,023,318 | 4.44 | 2.09 |
| Other common metals | 25,762,146 | (1.13) | 349,540,497 | -32.69 | 1.79 |
| Textile, garment, leather and footwear materials | 28,313,642 | 8.28 | 300,224,795 | 3.64 | 1.54 |
| Phones and components | 17,905,976 | (14.06) | 254,862,002 | -27.97 | 1.31 |
| Paper | 19,598,551 | 2.11 | 219,345,400 | -12.51 | 1.12 |
| Other means of transport and spare parts | 22,791,132 | (16.25) | 176,889,570 | 11.41 | 0.91 |
| Glass and glass products | 19,700,988 | 3.89 | 166,028,007 | 18.17 | 0.85 |
| Car | 11,803,371 | (26.59) | 162,015,429 | 77.54 | 0.83 |
| Rubber | 13,518,617 | 3.58 | 158,330,976 | 14.54 | 0.81 |
| Cameras, camcorders and components | 16,216,171 | 56.47 | 154,629,689 | -39.58 | 0.79 |
| Products from rubber | 12,611,190 | (3.90) | 146,835,539 | -4.45 | 0.75 |
| Seafood | 17,050,316 | 37.27 | 139,189,872 | 28.36 | 0.71 |
| Wires and cables | 9,624,387 | (14.58) | 134,428,644 | -5.76 | 0.69 |
| Products from common metals | 7,482,597 | 0.53 | 108,879,162 | 14.69 | 0.56 |
| Fibers and yarns of all kinds | 4,661,041 | (23.28) | 68,137,289 | -14.49 | 0.35 |
| Products from paper | 8,212,112 | 54.07 | 58,416,336 | 11.24 | 0.30 |
| Medicine | 6,365,907 | (0.43) | 56,122,794 | -10.28 | 0.29 |
| Milk and milk products | 2,984,571 | (44.62) | 47,770,208 | 44.07 | 0.24 |
| Coal of all kinds | 13,667,827 | 54.33 | 45,805,261 | 288.85 | 0.23 |
| Precious stones, precious metals and products | 5,391,286 | 28.45 | 44,536,731 | 27.67 | 0.23 |
| Aromatic substances, cosmetics and toilet preparations | 3,145,561 | 2.57 | 41,721,171 | 18.12 | 0.21 |
| Products from petroleum | 2,578,604 | 24.08 | 30,669,123 | -23.99 | 0.16 |
| Pesticides and raw materials | 1,706,279 | 65.47 | 30,487,316 | -2.79 | 0.16 |
| Other food preparations | 2,716,007 | 10.98 | 26,879,116 | 11.96 | 0.14 |
| Fertilizers | 3,022,596 | 34.92 | 26,307,855 | 3.76 | 0.13 |
| Electrical appliances and components | 1,592,590 | 5.54 | 18,331,169 | 15.31 | 0.09 |
| Gasoline of all kinds | 438 | 61.47 | 9,381,570 | 0.05 | |
| Wood and wood products | 710,213 | (16.50) | 8,186,046 | -10.76 | 0.04 |
| Ores and other minerals | 694,087 | 4.15 | 5,791,718 | -27.50 | 0.03 |
| Animal feed and raw materials | 115,396 | (23.55) | 1,934,671 | -48.78 | 0.01 |
| Other goods | 85,042,371 | (4.92) | 898,868,489 | 4.60 |
Source: VITIC
Goods imported from Japan market in 2019
(Calculated from figures published on January 13, 2020 of GDC)
According to the statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the textile and garment group accounted for the highest market share of 20.92% to reach USD 3.62 billion in the total export turnover of USD 18.55 billion to Japan market in the 11 months of the year.
In general, in the first half of 2019, Vietnam’s export of goods to the Japanese market grew, the number of these commodity groups accounted for 69% and vice versa accounted for 30.9% of which coal dropped the most by 67.14%. in volume and 61.62% of the value, corresponding to 148.8 thousand tons, worth USD 22.34 million, although the average export price increased by 16.82% to USD 150.14/ton.
| Commodity | Before Dec, 01 st 2019 | Compared to the same period 2018 (%) | ||
| Quantity (tons) | Value (USD) | Quantity | Value | |
| Total | 18,557,020,759 | 7.27 | ||
| Seafood | 1,350,546,028 | 6.32 | ||
| Vegertable | 112,414,441 | 14.39 | ||
| Cashew | 3,385 | 24,503,089 | 6.75 | (16.28) |
| Coffee | 86,253 | 147,725,767 | (12.35) | (23.71) |
| Pepper | 2,988 | 6,788,381 | 1.88 | (50.79) |
| Cassava and its products | 6,902 | 1,798,108 | (66.05) | (64.47) |
| Confectionery and cereal products | 45,374,988 | 10.44 | ||
| Animal feed and raw materials | 32,740,151 | 18.68 | ||
| Ores and other minerals | 53,393 | 16,057,469 | 24.17 | 6.27 |
| Coal of all kinds | 463,121 | 64,091,371 | (46.45) | (44.14) |
| Oil | 483,070 | 252,022,575 | 38.59 | 30.83 |
| Chemistry | 342,986,178 | 3.90 | ||
| Chemical products | 147,752,833 | 42.65 | ||
| Fertilizers | 10,309 | 4,343,056 | 20.01 | 48.10 |
| Plastic material | 68,477 | 76,273,869 | 227.03 | 164.35 |
| Products from plastic | 670,581,096 | 9.20 | ||
| Rubber | 10,296 | 16,103,839 | (7.26) | (8.49) |
| Products from Rubber | 128,793,339 | 6.42 | ||
| Bags, wallets, suitcases, umbrellas | 371,077,147 | 9.67 | ||
| Rattan, bamboo, rush and carpet products | 62,438,056 | 6.30 | ||
| Wood and wood products | 1,204,965,508 | 15.72 | ||
| Paper and paper products | 70,929,674 | (7.57) | ||
| Fibers and yarns of all kinds | 26,149 | 77,517,428 | 30.49 | 9.32 |
| Textiles | 3,623,466,735 | 4.05 | ||
| Fabric blinds, other technical fabrics | 33,400,522 | 8.76 | ||
| Footwear | 880,881,148 | 14.78 | ||
| Textile, garment, leather and footwear materials | 115,981,027 | 1.93 | ||
| Ceramic products | 66,561,368 | (9.27) | ||
| Glass and glass products | 92,860,771 | 11.99 | ||
| Precious stones, precious metals and products | 57,684,036 | 0.55 | ||
| Iron, steel | 192,527 | 109,471,157 | 95.71 | 52.39 |
| Products from iron and steel | 440,928,523 | 11.85 | ||
| Other common metals and products | 228,226,715 | 6.27 | ||
| Computers, electronic products and components | 937,874,854 | 25.92 | ||
| Phone and components | 753,383,077 | (1.24) | ||
| Cameras, camcorders and components | 117,817,055 | 13.81 | ||
| Machinery, equipment and other spare tools | 1,756,779,167 | 3.97 | ||
| Wires and cables | 277,491,509 | (9.46) | ||
| Means of transport and spare parts | 2,372,099,735 | 4.77 | ||
| Toys, sports equipment and parts | 293,027,574 | 4.24 | ||
| Other goods | 1,171,261,393 | |||
Source: VITIC
Goods exported to Japan in the first 11 months of 2019
(* Calculation of figures from GDC)