Vietnam’s exports to Australia gain momentum toward $20bn trade target

Since Vietnam’s first pomelo shipment entered Australia in mid-April, Vina T&T has been exporting five 40-foot containers of the fruit to the market each week, according to the company’s CEO Nguyen Dinh Tung.

Pomelo is among the Vietnamese fruits approved for import into Australia after meeting stringent biosecurity requirements covering 19 pest risks, as well as requirements for growing-area and packing-facility registration codes.

Alongside pomelos, Vietnamese products already available in Australia include longan, coconut, lychee, mango, passion fruit, dragon fruit and frozen durian.

The regular pomelo shipments highlight the potential of the Australian market as Vietnamese fruit products gain acceptance among local consumers.

Tung said he expected Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's visit to Australia, which runs from Sunday last week through Friday this week, to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and create more opportunities for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural products, to enter the market.

He said closer cooperation could help pave the way for additional Vietnamese products, including fresh durian and star apple, to gain access to Australia.

Because Australia has stringent import standards, Vietnamese shipments undergo strict inspections.

Tung called for greater support from authorities in both countries, including clearer and more detailed guidance on meeting Australian requirements.

He also urged stronger promotion and branding of Vietnamese products in the market.

Nguyen Tuan Viet, director of export promotion company Vietgo, said an increasing number of Australian buyers are showing interest in Vietnamese products.

Australia is an attractive market because shipping from Vietnam and other ASEAN countries can be more cost-competitive than sourcing goods from Europe or Africa, encouraging importers to seek suppliers in the region.

Viet said Australia's high standards, large Asian community and strong demand for products in which Vietnam has an advantage, make the market particularly valuable for Vietnamese exporters.

Successfully entering Australia can serve as a “passport” for Vietnamese products to gain access to other demanding markets, he said.

Viet also expected Vietnamese Party chief and State President To Lam's visit to create more opportunities for Vietnamese consumer goods, food, furniture, agricultural products, textiles and building materials to enter Australia.

However, he stressed that Vietnamese businesses need clearer guidance and support to comply with Australia's stringent regulations and make better use of the market.

Complementary economies drive export growth

Tran Thanh My, Vietnam's deputy consul general in Sydney and head of the Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that economic, trade and investment ties between the two countries have continued to make significant progress since Vietnam and Australia upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in March 2024.

Two-way trade exceeded $14 billion in both 2024 and 2025, representing strong growth from less than $10 billion in 2020.

Vietnam's exports to Australia have also risen steadily, from more than $3.6 billion in 2020 to $6.8 billion in 2025, helping narrow the trade deficit.

Vietnam's trade deficit with Australia fell to less than $400 million in 2025, down more than 60 percent from the previous year.

The two economies are highly complementary, with their major import and export products largely supporting rather than directly competing with each other, My said.

Vietnam exports products such as electronics, machinery, textiles, footwear, seafood and agricultural goods to Australia, while Australia supplies key production inputs including coal, iron ore, wheat and cotton to Vietnam.

The two countries are also members of three major multilateral free trade agreements: the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

These agreements help reduce tariffs, facilitate the use of rules of origin, and improve the price competitiveness of traded goods.

My said Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's visit to Australia would help strengthen trust at the highest level and encourage businesses from both countries to expand investment and pursue long-term business cooperation.

She expressed confidence that the two countries could maintain stable ties and promote sustainable bilateral relations while working toward the goal of increasing annual two-way trade to $20 billion.