Expanding agricultural trade in Northeast Asian market

According to the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Environment (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), in early 2025, Viet Nam’s agricultural exports to China and ASEAN showed a decline compared to the same period in 2024, while exports to Japan and the Republic of Korea recorded positive growth.

Specifically, in January 2025, agricultural exports to Japan reached 381.24 million USD, up 0.9% from December 2024 and 0.5% year-on-year. Exports to the Republic of Korea reached 201.62 million USD, up 0.2% from December 2024 and January 2024. This growth was driven by rising demand for agricultural products, especially those in which Viet Nam has strengths, such as rice, coffee, fruit, and seafood.

In addition, Japan and the Republic of Korea have signed and implemented several free trade agreements with Viet Nam, including the Viet Nam – the Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA), the Viet Nam - Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Viet Nam is a major supplier of fruits and processed products to Japan and the Republic of Korea.

According to Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetables Association, in the first two months of 2025, the Republic of Korea ranked as Viet Nam’s third-largest fruit and vegetable export market with over 44 million USD, an 8% increase from the same period in 2024. Japan followed as the fourth-largest market with over 33 million USD, a 23% increase from 2024.

“However, compared to the demand for fruits and processed products in Japan and the Republic of Korea, Viet Nam’s export share remains modest, meaning there is still significant room for businesses to expand their market share,” Nguyen emphasised.

Beyond fruits and vegetables, both countries have also increased imports of Vietnamese coffee.

In the Republic of Korea, Vietnamese coffee exports experienced double-digit growth, reaching 14.9 million USD in January 2025, a 25% increase year-on-year. The Republic of Korea coffee market comprises two main segments: in-home and out-of-home consumption. Revenue from in-home consumption is projected to reach 2.18 billion USD in 2025, while out-of-home consumption is expected to hit 13.16 billion USD.

In late February 2025, Simexco Daklak successfully exported a 500 kg shipment of speciality coffee husks (cascara tea) to the Republic of Korea, valued at nearly 1 million VND per kilogram.

In the Japanese market, Viet Nam is currently the second-largest coffee supplier after Brazil. According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan, in the first two months of 2025, Viet Nam exported nearly 128 million USD worth of coffee to Japan, a 56% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Data from the Export–Import Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) shows that between 2025 and 2033, Japan’s coffee consumption is expected to grow by 0.47% annually, reaching 5.66 billion USD in 2033, up from 5.43 billion USD in 2024. The growing demand and the rise of speciality coffee shops present valuable opportunities for Vietnamese exporters.

Moreover, seafood exports also show growth potential, with Viet Nam exporting over 222 million USD worth to Japan in the first two months of 2025, a 13% increase year-on-year.

As for wooden furniture, prospects for exports to Japan in 2025 are very positive, supported by the VJEPA agreement, which continues to offer tariff reductions and trade facilitation.

Ta Duc Minh, Trade Counsellor at the Viet Nam Trade Office in Japan, noted that Japanese consumers are increasingly interested in Vietnamese products, including rice, instant noodles, pho, rice paper, fish sauce, spices, coffee, milk, and coconut water. Vietnamese agricultural and food products are becoming more visible in major Japanese supermarket chains such as AEON, Donkihote, Itoyokado, and 100-yen stores.

In the coming period, the Viet Nam Trade Office in Japan will continue to connect Vietnamese exporters with major Japanese importers and retail chains, while also promoting Vietnamese products in the Japanese market.

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