Vietnam’s exports of chemicals reached US$209.50 million in May 2025, according to figures released by Vietnam’s General Department of Customs. This represents a notable decrease of 12.97 percent compared to April, bringing the year-to-date (YTD) export value to US$1.12 billion.

China maintains lead, while India and Indonesia face significant declines:

China remained the top destination for Vietnamese chemicals, with May exports totaling US$48.13 million, despite a slight decrease of 6.99 percent from April. China accounts for a significant 22.07 percent of YTD exports. However, the overall decline in May was significantly impacted by substantial drops in exports to India, which fell by 65.92 percent, and Indonesia, which saw a 62.04 percent decrease.

Thailand, Malaysia, and Netherlands record explosive growth:

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

Thailand exports surged by an astounding 618.36 percent, reaching US$17.78 million, making it a surprisingly strong performer.
Netherlands exports jumped by 344.42 percent, albeit from a lower base.
Myanmar saw an impressive increase of 109.39 percent.
Malaysia exports surged by 67.66 percent to US$17.76 million.
Italy and Canada also recorded strong increases of over 31 percent.

Other notable movements:

Japan‘s exports remained largely stable with a minimal decrease of 0.09 percent.
South Korea and the USA saw modest increases of 8.59 percent and 2.15 percent, respectively.
Taiwan and Bangladesh experienced double-digit declines.
The Czech Republic recorded no exports in May after having some in April.

The diverse performance across markets suggests a dynamic and shifting landscape for Vietnam’s chemical exports. While major markets like India and Indonesia pulled down overall figures, the exceptional growth in certain Asian and European countries highlights new opportunities and evolving trade relationships.

Vietnam exports of chemicals, May 2025, US$ millions

	May	April	MoM	YTD	% of YTD
Total	209.50	240.73	-12.97%	1,117.41	100.00%
Other	29.25	29.83	-1.92%	0.00	0.00%
China	48.13	51.75	-6.99%	246.59	22.07%
Japan	30.51	30.54	-0.09%	133.72	11.97%
Thailand	17.78	2.48	618.36%	55.54	4.97%
Malaysia	17.76	10.60	67.66%	87.90	7.87%
India	16.35	47.97	-65.92%	186.58	16.70%
Indonesia	12.21	32.15	-62.04%	104.81	9.38%
South Korea	10.39	9.57	8.59%	58.69	5.25%
USA	6.77	6.62	2.15%	28.31	2.53%
Taiwan	6.32	7.99	-20.91%	28.87	2.58%
Cambodia	4.50	4.46	0.82%	20.14	1.80%
Italy	3.92	2.98	31.42%	9.57	0.86%
Canada	2.78	2.10	32.09%	12.54	1.12%
Myanmar	0.96	0.46	109.39%	2.89	0.26%
Netherlands	0.89	0.20	344.42%	6.14	0.55%
Bangladesh	0.48	0.61	-21.18%	1.31	0.12%
Philippines	0.38	0.36	8.33%	1.61	0.14%
Iceland	0.08	0.06	31.82%	0.33	0.03%
Czech Republic	0.03	0.00	0.00%	0.10	0.01%

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