Vietnam exports and imports soar to record levels on AI boom

Supply ChainData center demand and China-US trade friction benefit the countryFerries transport vehicles and cargo at Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City on April 6. While Vietnam's exports boomed in the first eight months of the year, so did imports, nudging the country into a trade deficit. © Getty ImagesLIEN HOANGSeptember 3, 2026 13:50 JSTHO CHI MINH CITY -- Vietnam's eight-month trade volume reached a record $770 billion, the statistics office said Thursday, as the country benefited from artificial intelligence-driven demand for data centers and other goods.