Positive growth but great pressure at the end of the year
The leader of the Customs Department said that the entire industry is accelerating the synchronous implementation of solutions to reform administrative procedures in the spirit of the Politburo's four resolutions and the instructions of the Government and the Ministry of Finance on facilitating import-export activities of enterprises.
This task is being implemented in the context that the Customs sector is reorganizing the organization to meet the two-level local government model, creating more pressure in operation and implementation. The assigned budget revenue target for 2025 is VND 411,000 billion, while the development of international trade and import-export turnover in the last months of the year is facing many potential difficulties.
According to the Customs Department, although revenue is improved thanks to increased taxable turnover, the end of the year is the time of "sprinting", requiring the entire industry to accelerate more strongly.
Revenue improves but cannot be subjective
According to statistics, by the end of October 2025, budget revenue from import-export activities reached VND 379,816 billion, equal to 92.4% of the estimate, equal to 80.8% of the target, up 9.3% over the same period in 2024. This is considered a bright spot in financial and budget management in 2025.
This result comes from the recovery of international trade, along with efforts by local customs departments in monitoring, combating losses, supporting businesses and facilitating trade.
Total import-export turnover of the whole country reached 761.4 billion USD, up 17.5% over the same period. Of which, exports increased by 16.3%, reflecting the recovery of some key industries such as textiles, electronics, and wood furniture. Imports increased by 18.7%, showing that the demand for raw materials, machinery, and equipment for production continued to increase.
Notably, the import turnover subject to tax reached 127.2 billion USD, an increase of more than 5.3% over the same period in 2024, contributing significantly to the increase in state budget revenue. The groups of goods that generate large revenues include raw materials, machinery, equipment, and spare parts (accounting for 48.8%, up 10.5%), increasing revenue by about VND 17,240 billion; whole cars increase revenue by about VND 10,589 billion; fertilizers increase revenue by VND 1,216 billion; value added tax on small-value goods increases by VND 1,258 billion.
Closely follow the collection progress every week, each item
To ensure the completion of assigned targets, the Customs Department requires regional customs branches to closely follow the budget collection progress every week, each item, each enterprise; promptly report any difficulties and problems that arise for immediate handling.
Along with that, the Customs sector will strengthen coordination with ministries, branches and localities in specialized inspections, preventing revenue loss at border gates, seaports, airports, and economic zones; organize working groups to support businesses during the peak of year-end customs clearance.
However, the pressure in the final stage was huge. According to data for the first period of November, import-export turnover decreased by more than 11% compared to the second half of October, focusing on industrial goods and manufactured materials. Transportation costs, exchange rates and interest rates in some major markets remain high, causing many businesses to limit raw material imports by the end of 2025.
simultaneously deploy key groups of solutions
Analysis by the Customs Department shows that, in addition to market factors, tax exemption and reduction policies to support businesses also have a significant impact on budget revenue. In particular, the value-added tax reduction policy under Decree 174/2025/ND-CP reduces about VND 28,200 billion; the implementation of 3 decrees related to import-export tax reduces an additional VND 1,783 billion.
Faced with these challenges, the Customs sector has been implementing four key groups of solutions.
First, perfect institutions, strongly reform administrative procedures, review and amend documents related to specialized inspections, import-export taxes and customs management; cut 30% of administrative procedures, 30% of processing time, 30% of compliance costs for businesses; promote the Digital Customs - Smart Customs model, ensure 24/7 customs clearance.
Second, strengthen control, prevent loss of revenue, focus on checking value, code, and origin; expand post-clearance inspections for groups of goods with high tax rates such as cars, cosmetics, fashion goods, electronic components; collect tax debts, carry out enforcement according to regulations; analyze data to identify unusual signs.
Third, accompany and support businesses, strengthen dialogue, provide early guidance on new regulations, limit errors; publicize business compliance indexes; support businesses to take advantage of FTAs, diversify export markets, promote high value-added goods.
Fourth, promote the application of information technology, synchronize central - local data; deploy automatic container screening, surveillance cameras, seal GPS, smart port management system; connect data with ASEAN, Japan, and South Korean customs; perfect automatic monitoring mechanisms at seaports, airports, ICD, and road border gates.
