US imports of telephones and components from Vietnam, one of its key suppliers, dropped to a five-year low in November, according to official Vietnamese data, as exporters, including Samsung Electronics, grappled with trade uncertainties and softening consumer demand.
Smartphones are exempt from US tariffs, but trade-related uncertainty this year affected shipments from Vietnam, according to data.
The exports had peaked in January and rebounded in May following exemptions from steep tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. However, shipments began to decline sharply from August, when 20% tariffs were applied to Vietnamese goods, despite the exemption for phones and electronics.
In November, Vietnam’s telephone exports to the US fell below US$410 million—the lowest monthly figure since May 2020—marking the fourth consecutive month of decline. Annual production of phones in Vietnam has also been decreasing since August, according to updated official figures.
Despite the recent slowdown, strong exports during the first half of the year helped offset the declines, resulting in largely flat export figures for the first 11 months of 2025 compared with the previous year. Samsung dominates Vietnam’s smartphone exports, and its shipments largely drive the country’s trade numbers.
Samsung, which has major manufacturing operations in Vietnam, does not publicly disclose its export figures from the country and declined to comment on Vietnam’s trade data. A Vietnam-based executive familiar with Samsung’s operations said the company has been adjusting production and export volumes in response to weakening consumer sentiment.
The decline in smartphone shipments to the US contributed to a broader slowdown in Vietnam’s total exports, which fell to nearly US$4 billion in November, the lowest monthly figure since April.
