Vietnam imported US$743.00 million worth of iron and steel products in August 2025, down 5.3 percent from US$784.91 million in July, according to Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Year-to-date imports reached US$5.21 billion.
China remained the dominant supplier, providing US$551.46 million in August, equal to 72.1 percent of the total, though slightly down 4.9 percent from July.
South Korea followed with US$60.13 million, representing 9.4 percent but down 13.3 percent month-on-month.
Imports from Japan fell 12.6 percent to US$37.60 million, while Taiwan was stable at US$17.23 million.
Thailand was a notable gainer, with shipments rising 14.3 percent to US$14.61 million.
The USA also increased its supply nearly 10 percent to US$8.32 million.
In contrast, Russia’s exports to Vietnam plunged 60.6 percent to US$2.71 million, while European suppliers like Italy, France, and the Netherlands also recorded double-digit declines.
Imports were more diversified at the margin, with Norway, Malaysia, and Indonesia all showing increases.
However, these volumes remained small compared to the heavy reliance on China.
Of note, iron and steel product imports are widely seen as a threat to Vietnam’s domestic production base.
The country imports large volumes of flat steel, special alloys, and semi-finished products from China, Japan, South Korea, and other regional suppliers, often at lower prices than local mills can match.
This puts pressure on domestic firms, especially smaller producers that lack economies of scale and advanced technology.
The influx of cheaper imports has led to recurring safeguard and anti-dumping investigations by Vietnamese authorities to protect local industry.
While imports fill gaps in product categories not yet produced domestically, they also create dependency on foreign supply chains and erode the competitiveness of national steelmakers.
Balancing supply needs with industrial self-reliance remains a key policy issue, as Vietnam seeks to strengthen its steel sector while complying with international trade commitments.
Vietnam import data for iron and steel products in August 2025 US$millions
| August | July | MoM | YTD | % of YTD | |
| Total | 743.00 | 784.91 | -5.34% | 5,207.38 | 100.00% |
| Other | 12.70 | 6.80 | 86.92% | 53.50 | 1.03% |
| China | 551.46 | 579.95 | -4.91% | 3,755.23 | 72.11% |
| South Korea | 60.13 | 69.37 | -13.33% | 486.98 | 9.35% |
| Japan | 37.60 | 43.04 | -12.64% | 292.51 | 5.62% |
| Taiwan | 17.23 | 17.16 | 0.36% | 126.61 | 2.43% |
| Thailand | 14.61 | 12.79 | 14.27% | 101.63 | 1.95% |
| USA | 8.32 | 7.57 | 9.97% | 67.47 | 1.30% |
| Germany | 7.56 | 8.53 | -11.36% | 51.84 | 1.00% |
| Philippines | 4.25 | 3.57 | 19.12% | 20.07 | 0.39% |
| Malaysia | 3.96 | 3.23 | 22.92% | 32.90 | 0.63% |
| India | 3.42 | 4.09 | -16.45% | 30.54 | 0.59% |
| Italy | 3.30 | 4.53 | -27.17% | 26.40 | 0.51% |
| Russia | 2.71 | 6.89 | -60.62% | 32.94 | 0.63% |
| Singapore | 2.02 | 1.65 | 22.44% | 12.40 | 0.24% |
| Norway | 2.00 | 0.67 | 195.75% | 6.67 | 0.13% |
| Indonesia | 1.70 | 1.35 | 26.47% | 12.39 | 0.24% |
| UK | 1.59 | 1.74 | -9.08% | 12.34 | 0.24% |
| France | 1.43 | 1.56 | -8.16% | 10.91 | 0.21% |
| Netherlands | 1.20 | 1.83 | -34.54% | 15.26 | 0.29% |
| Poland | 1.06 | 1.42 | -25.16% | 7.05 | 0.14% |
| Switzerland | 0.95 | 0.74 | 28.36% | 6.90 | 0.13% |
| Sweden | 0.90 | 1.48 | -39.25% | 9.58 | 0.18% |
| Austria | 0.83 | 1.30 | -36.40% | 6.01 | 0.12% |
| Spain | 0.64 | 0.81 | -20.83% | 10.94 | 0.21% |
| Czech Republic | 0.41 | 0.55 | -26.04% | 2.77 | 0.05% |
| Denmark | 0.24 | 1.09 | -77.82% | 8.54 | 0.16% |
| Canada | 0.23 | 0.47 | -50.30% | 1.94 | 0.04% |
| Belgium | 0.21 | 0.15 | 37.41% | 2.09 | 0.04% |
| Australia | 0.20 | 0.31 | -35.54% | 2.09 | 0.04% |
| Hong Kong | 0.13 | 0.28 | -53.59% | 0.78 | 0.01% |
| Ukraine | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.00% | 0.11 | 0.00% |