Despite facing many fluctuations in 2025, rubber continues to be a billion-dollar export for Vietnam. According to the Department of Customs, in December 2025, Vietnam’s rubber exports reached 238,000 tons, worth 404 million USD. This figure shows a slight increase in volume but a 10% decrease in value compared to December 2024.
Vietnam’s rubber exports in 2025 reached nearly 2 million tons, valued at nearly 3.3 billion USD, a decrease in both volume and value compared to 2024. This is the lowest export volume in the past four years, but the value is the second highest in history.
The average export price of rubber increased by 2.6% compared to 2024, reaching 1,745 USD/ton.
China remains Vietnam’s largest rubber export market throughout 2025, accounting for 74% of the total volume. Compared to 2024, export volume to this market decreased by 2.3%, but value increased by 0.3%, thanks to the average export price reaching 1,731 USD/ton, up 2.7%.
Rubber exports to the second-largest market, India, also saw a sharp decline, with exports in 2025 dropping to 76,000 tons, valued at 43 million.
Exports to some other markets, such as the USA, Germany, Taiwan, or Russia, tend to decrease. However, rubber exports have seen positive growth to markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Pakistan. Notably, exports to Malaysia increased by 42% to 54,657 tons and to Indonesia by nearly 95% to 51,202 tons. These two markets have risen to third and fourth place on the list of Vietnam’s largest rubber export markets in 2025.
Vietnam’s rubber exports are facing many difficulties amid increasing competition in the international market. Among the top rubber-producing countries, Vietnam is one of the few countries that recorded a decrease in export volume in 2025.
Unusual weather in Southeast Asia has directly impacted mining operations. In Thailand, severe flooding in the southern region is estimated to cause a production decline of about 90,000 tons. In Vietnam, the heavy rains from November 15 to 20 in the Central Highlands caused many mining areas to be shut down, with losses estimated at 40,000 tons across 9 key provinces.
In December, tensions in the Thailand-Cambodia border region continued to disrupt factory operations within a radius of about 200 km, thereby supporting a slight recovery in RSS3 prices to 2,071 USD per ton. However, this recovery remains quite cautious because demand has not shown clear signs of improvement.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s short-term prospects are not very optimistic, as China’s import demand, a key market, is slowing down. Although China’s total rubber imports are expected to grow by double digits in 2025, imports from Vietnam are declining for the second consecutive year. China is shifting more strongly toward supplies from Thailand, Ivory Coast, and Indonesia. In this context, boosting exports to potential markets like Malaysia and Indonesia, or other markets, not only helps improve immediate sales but also reduces dependence on a single market and increases the sustainability of Vietnam’s rubber industry.