Shift to high-value exports, improve profit margin
In the first quarter of 2026, Dai Viet Import-Export Co., Ltd. recorded simultaneous growth in revenue, orders and export efficiency right in the first months of the year.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh - Director of Dai Viet Import-Export Co., Ltd. - said that the enterprise's export revenue increased by about 28-35% compared to the same period last year, while the number of orders increased by 20-25%. Notably, the proportion of long-term contracts increased sharply, contributing to stabilizing output and reducing risks in the face of market fluctuations.
Not only expanding export scale, businesses also significantly improved profit margins thanks to product structure shifts in the direction of "reducing output - increasing value", focusing on high value-added commodities such as fresh coconuts, cashews and deep-processed fruits.
According to business representatives, prioritizing improving quality instead of chasing output is becoming an important direction to help increase competitiveness in the context of the international market increasingly tightening requirements on technical standards, traceability and quality control.
Currently, businesses focus on three main export market groups including Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Among them, Asian markets such as: China, Korea, Japan continue to play a key role for fresh fruits and fresh coconuts. The Middle East region recorded positive growth thanks to high demand for tropical agricultural products and Halal standard foods. Meanwhile, the European market, although with stricter technical requirements, brings good profit margins, especially suitable for deep-processed products.
In the period 2026-2028, emerging markets such as Africa and South Asia, especially India and Bangladesh, continue to be assessed as areas with much room for expansion thanks to large population size and rapidly increasing consumer demand" - Ms. Hanh assessed.
One of the important drivers helping to maintain export growth momentum, according to Ms. Hanh, is the effective exploitation of FTAs such as EVFTA, CPTPP and RCEP. The standardization of raw material areas according to international standards such as GlobalGAP, HACCP has helped improve access to demanding markets. At the same time, optimizing certificates of origin of goods to take advantage of tariff preferences also contributes to improving the competitiveness of products.
In parallel with that, businesses are increasing investment in logistics and packaging systems that meet high-class export standards, and expanding international B2B trade channels through trade promotion fairs and global partner networks.
FTAs not only mean tax reduction but also create conditions for businesses to participate more deeply in high-standard supply chains in the international market" - Ms. Hanh emphasized.
In the context of global trade still fluctuating, businesses said that they are still proactively responding to a number of challenges such as increased logistics costs, exchange rate fluctuations and increasingly stringent technical barriers from major markets. To adapt, businesses are implementing a market diversification strategy, while promoting deep processing investment to increase product value and reduce dependence on a specific export sector.
Agricultural exports still have room for growth in 2026
The positive results of agricultural exports in the first quarter of 2026 reflect the trend of recovery in international market demand, and also show the effectiveness of businesses proactively taking advantage of free trade agreements.
Talking to Lao Dong, Dr. Nguyen Minh Phong - former Head of Economic Research Department, Hanoi Institute for Socio-Economic Development Research, said that some key commodity groups such as rice, tropical fruits and processed products still have much room for growth thanks to stable import demand in Asian, Middle Eastern and European markets.
In addition, the shift of businesses to increase product value, invest in deep processing and standardize raw material areas according to international standards is contributing to improving competitiveness and improving export profit margins.
However, businesses need to continue to closely monitor the developments of input costs, logistics and international market fluctuations to proactively build appropriate response scenarios. Market diversification and effective exploitation of FTAs will continue to be important factors to help maintain the growth momentum of agricultural exports in 2026" - Mr. Phong recommended.
