Vietnam's textile and garment sector booked $33.66bn in export turnover as of September 15, preliminary data show, keeping the industry on track for its full-year target of $47-47.5bn. If market conditions improve in the fourth quarter, turnover could approach $48bn.

Industry representatives attribute the performance to three strategic pillars: market diversification, technology adoption, and stronger links across the value chain.

Vietnamese textile and garment products now ship to 137 countries and territories. The US remains the largest market, taking roughly 40% of total overseas shipments. The EU, South Korea, Japan, China and ASEAN follow as traditional buyers, with emerging demand building in Africa and the Middle East.

On the factory floor, enterprises are accelerating automation, robotics and artificial intelligence across management and production. Vu Duc Giang, chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), said the sector's performance reflects flexible strategies, enterprises' adaptability and progress in green and digital transformation.

Looking towards 2026-2030, with a vision to 2035, he stressed that digital and green transformation are no longer options but essential requirements for textile and garment enterprises. According to VITAS, investment in digital infrastructure, AI and robotics currently accounts for around 65-68% of total investment at many enterprises.

Green transformation has become a long-term priority aligned with the Government's net-zero emissions target for 2050. Enterprises are gradually investing in renewable energy, including rooftop solar power, upgrading wastewater treatment systems and increasing the use of environmentally friendly materials.

Giang called on localities to develop specialised industrial parks with concentrated wastewater treatment systems meeting international standards. That, he argued, would attract secondary investors in textile and dyeing and gradually address bottlenecks in domestic supplies of raw materials and accessories.

Amid competition from major production centres such as Bangladesh and India, Vietnam is positioning itself in the mid- and high-end segments. Rather than competing mainly on price, Vietnamese businesses target orders requiring advanced technical skills, high-quality workmanship, fast delivery and strict quality standards. A stable socio-economic environment and Vietnam's participation in 17 new-generation free trade agreements support deeper access to international markets.

At supplier level, the order books are filling. Than Duc Viet, general director of Garment 10 Corporation JSC, said the company is accelerating technology and automation on production lines to improve productivity and meet increasingly demanding requirements on delivery times and quality. Coordinated investment in digital and green transformation has helped Garment 10 maintain stable production, optimise operating costs and secure jobs for workers, he said.

Thanks to proactive negotiations and improved competitiveness, the firm has secured orders through the end of 2026 and is negotiating contracts for the first quarters of 2027.

Cao Huu Hieu, general director of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), said the focus for the final months of the year is tight cost control, higher productivity, cash-flow management and high-value-added orders. Several major Vinatex members, including Garment 10, Nha Be Garment and Hue Textile-Garment, have secured orders through the end of the year.

But booked capacity does not mean eased pressure. Hieu noted that customers continue to seek longer delivery periods, push harder on prices and shift towards products with more complex technical requirements. Businesses therefore need to coordinate orders across the system to maximise production capacity while preparing early for 2027.

For buyers sourcing from Vietnam, the message is twofold. Lead times and price negotiations are set to stay contentious into 2027 even where order books are full, and supplier selection will increasingly favour Vietnamese factories that can meet complex technical requirements backed by verified wastewater treatment and renewable-energy investments tied to the 2050 net-zero commitment.