July 14, 2026
 

US tops Vietnam's poultry import market with US$113 million in 2025 as tariff cut opens further room

Frozen chicken legs and leg quarters dominate US poultry shipments to Vietnam, which accounts for around 11% of the country's total chicken meat consumption.

The United States was Vietnam's largest supplier of poultry and poultry products in 2025, with exports reaching US$113 million, ahead of South Korea at US$75 million and the European Union at US$65 million, according to a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report. Imported poultry accounts for approximately 11% of Vietnam's total chicken meat consumption.

US shipments to Vietnam consist primarily of frozen chicken legs and leg quarters. The FAS report noted that a recent reduction in Vietnam's import tariffs under Decree No. 73/2025/ND-CP cut the duty on frozen chicken thighs from 20% to 15%, a move expected to further support US poultry export volumes to the market.

The United States remains the only major agricultural trading partner without a free trade agreement with Vietnam, placing it at a tariff disadvantage relative to competitors in several categories. Ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations between Washington and Hanoi, announced in October 2025, are aimed at addressing the gap, with Vietnam having offered to eliminate tariffs on nearly all goods including agricultural products under the proposed framework.

- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service