Vietnam GDP Jumps 7.96% as Exporters Beat Looming US Tariff

Vietnam’s economy expanded 7.96% year-on-year in the April–June quarter, accelerating from 6.93% in the first three months of 2025, according to the National Statistics Office. Export shipments rose 18% to $116.93 billion, while imports climbed by a similar margin to $112.52 billion, leaving a $4.41 billion trade surplus. Industrial production grew 10.3% and consumer prices in June were 3.57% higher than a year earlier. The stronger showing comes days after Hanoi reached a trade agreement with Washington that will impose a 20% tariff on most Vietnamese products, below the 46% levy the United States had threatened. Goods trans-shipped from third countries through Vietnam will face a 40% duty, while Vietnamese purchases of US goods will enter duty-free. Foreign buyers, especially those supplying the US market, accelerated orders ahead of the new charges, helping lift second-quarter output. Analysts including Fitch Solutions expect exports and investment to stay resilient through the rest of 2025 and see upward risk to their 6.4% full-year growth forecast. The government views the reduced-tariff deal as a chance to push manufacturers toward higher-value products such as semiconductors and to keep GDP growth near its 8% annual target.