Vietnam’s exports of chemical products reached US$226.59 million in May 2025, according to figures released by Vietnam’s General Department of Customs. This represents a significant decrease of 13.38 percent compared to April, bringing the year-to-date (YTD) export value to US$1.20 billion.

Laos and Indonesia experience sharp declines, while China maintains lead:

The overall decline was largely influenced by significant drops in exports to key partners. Exports to Laos plummeted by 47.73 percent to US$34.32 million, while Indonesia saw a decrease of 29.74 percent. Despite these dips, China remained the leading export destination, with May exports of US$37.82 million, showing a modest increase of 3.93 percent from April, and accounting for 14.37 percent of YTD exports.

Germany, South Africa, and Cambodia record impressive growth:

In contrast to the overall trend, several markets demonstrated remarkable month-on-month growth in May:

Germany exports surged by an impressive 161.02 percent, reaching US$1.92 million.
South Africa saw an even more astonishing jump of 153.72 percent, though from a lower base.
Cambodia exports increased significantly by 31.49 percent.
Algeria also showed strong growth of 39.95 percent.
Other notable increases were observed in Thailand (9.08%), Philippines (9.71%), Malaysia (10.40%), and Kenya (11.89%).

Other markets with notable declines:

Besides Laos and Indonesia, other countries experiencing significant drops included:

Pakistan (-29.95%)
Netherlands (-26.02%)
South Korea (-21.49%)
Saudi Arabia (-17.51%)
Bangladesh (-15.79%)
Myanmar (-14.64%)

The mixed performance in May, with a considerable overall decline, suggests fluctuating demand in global chemical markets, with strong surges in specific niche markets offsetting significant drops in others.

Vietnam exports of chemical products, May 2025, US$ millions

	May	April	MoM	YTD	% of YTD
Total	226.59	261.60	-13.38%	1,197.74	100.00%
Other	29.34	28.00	4.80%	0.00	0.00%
China	37.82	36.39	3.93%	172.07	14.37%
Laos	34.32	65.67	-47.73%	281.27	23.48%
Indonesia	19.85	28.25	-29.74%	114.60	9.57%
India	14.27	13.89	2.75%	62.98	5.26%
USA	12.16	13.48	-9.75%	59.68	4.98%
Thailand	11.68	10.71	9.08%	52.82	4.41%
Cambodia	11.42	8.69	31.49%	49.09	4.10%
Japan	10.51	10.47	0.40%	52.44	4.38%
Malaysia	6.97	6.32	10.40%	33.91	2.83%
South Korea	6.87	8.75	-21.49%	36.66	3.06%
Philippines	6.41	5.84	9.71%	29.29	2.45%
Taiwan	3.71	3.88	-4.41%	16.98	1.42%
Australia	3.48	3.32	4.70%	15.73	1.31%
Bangladesh	3.35	3.98	-15.79%	19.28	1.61%
Singapore	2.61	2.89	-9.76%	13.07	1.09%
Germany	1.92	0.74	161.02%	5.50	0.46%
Netherlands	1.74	2.35	-26.02%	6.74	0.56%
Saudi Arabia	1.65	2.00	-17.51%	9.34	0.78%
Kenya	1.44	1.29	11.89%	7.39	0.62%
South Africa	1.00	0.39	153.72%	3.24	0.27%
Algeria	0.85	0.61	39.95%	2.14	0.18%
Myanmar	0.85	0.99	-14.64%	4.25	0.35%
Hong Kong	0.74	0.83	-11.39%	3.17	0.26%
Sri Lanka	0.73	0.71	3.08%	4.14	0.35%
Pakistan	0.68	0.97	-29.95%	5.15	0.43%
Kazakhstan	0.21	0.21	1.98%	0.66	0.06%

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