Mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic products remain the province's key export group

In August 2026 alone, total goods export value was estimated at USD 3,870.9 million, up 1.7% from the previous month and 32% year-on-year. The foreign-invested sector reached USD 3,604.7 million, accounting for 93.1% of the total; the domestic sector reached USD 266.2 million, accounting for 6.8% and rising 269.3% year-on-year, mainly due to nonferrous metals and nonferrous metal concentrates. Mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic products remained the leading export group, with exports reaching USD 3,507.8 million, up 25.5% year-on-year. Of this total, smartphone exports reached USD 2,245.5 million, up 170.4%, while tablet exports reached USD 370 million, up 114.4%.

At the same time, export values for several other product groups also rose sharply: nonferrous metals and nonferrous metal concentrates reached USD 168 million, 8.4 times the year-earlier figure; paper and paper products reached USD 1.4 million, up 205.2%; transport equipment parts reached USD 1.1 million, up 84.2%; and garments reached USD 81 million, up 74.1%. Meanwhile, exports of several product groups declined year-on-year: all types of tea were valued at USD 0.01 million, down 65.6%, while photovoltaic cells and solar modules were valued at USD 1 million, down 49.6%.

In the first eight months as a whole, total export value reached USD 26,304.3 million, equivalent to 78.5% of the annual plan. With this result, Thai Nguyen ranked fifth nationwide among the country’s 34 provinces and centrally governed cities by export value, after Bac Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Tho, and Hai Phong. Notably, exports by the domestic sector reached USD 1,198.2 million, up 133.2% year-on-year and equivalent to 145.2% of the 2026 annual plan.

Import value of iron and steel products reaches USD 43.5 million in first eight months, up 112.7%

Alongside exports, imports continued to grow, primarily to meet demand for raw materials, machinery, equipment, and components for production. In August 2026, total import value was estimated at USD 3,097.5 million, up 1.1% from the previous month and 64.3% year-on-year. Imports by the domestic sector reached USD 160.6 million, up 205.5%, while imports by the foreign-invested sector reached USD 2,936.9 million, up 60.2%.

Electronic materials and components were the highest-value import group during the month, reaching USD 2,957 million, up 64.6%. Machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts reached USD 45 million, up 206.6%; plastics and plastic raw materials reached USD 19 million, 3.2 times the year-earlier figure; and iron and steel products reached USD 8.2 million, up 225.1%. Conversely, imports declined for several products, including animal feed ingredients, wood-processing materials, fabrics, and textile and garment materials and accessories.

In the first eight months as a whole, total import value reached USD 19,667.7 million, up 46.2% year-on-year. Of this total, imports by the domestic sector reached USD 787.5 million, up 110.3%, while imports by the foreign-invested sector reached USD 18,880.2 million, up 44.3%.

Major imports continued to record strong growth. Plastics and plastic raw materials reached USD 109.3 million, up 126.4%; machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts reached USD 248.7 million, up 121.1%; iron and steel products reached USD 43.5 million, up 112.7%; and electronic materials and components reached USD 18,751.7 million, up 46.6% year-on-year. Most imports were conducted under direct-import arrangements and sourced from Asian markets, which accounted for more than 99% of total import value. South Korea, China, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan were the principal source markets.

With these results, Thai Nguyen’s goods export and import activities maintained solid growth in the first eight months of 2026. Total trade value reached nearly USD 46 billion, with exports up 24.6% and imports up 46.2% year-on-year. These results indicate continued improvement in production, business activity, and international trade across the province, making an important contribution to provincial economic growth.