Currently, there are nearly two million global sellers on the platform, accounting for 60% of its revenue and generating a total of 2.5 trillion USD in the past 25 years. In Viet Nam alone, according to data from Amazon Global Selling, the number of products sold by Vietnamese businesses on Amazon has risen by over 300% in the past five years. More than 60% of products on the platform now come from third-party sellers, including thousands of enterprises from Viet Nam.

Experimenting with the ‘digital export’ trend

Like many other Vietnamese exporters, the US market currently accounts for about 50% of total revenue for Lam Viet Joint Stock Company —- evidence of the stable purchasing power in this key market. However, instead of relying solely on traditional sales channels, Nguyen Thanh Lam, the company’s CEO, shared that the firm is shifting strongly towards online export to reduce intermediaries and optimise costs. In April, the company successfully exported three containers of goods via the Amazon e-commerce platform. “With strong support from both regulatory authorities and leading e-commerce platforms like Amazon, we feel more confident in capturing consumer trends and designing products suitable for the market through online channels,” Lam said.

In reality, actively integrating into the global market is no longer a choice but a prerequisite for enhancing competitiveness, adaptability, and sustainable development for Vietnamese businesses in the international market, as digital exports are becoming a new driving force for improving the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods worldwide.

According to Hoang Minh Chien, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the shift from traditional to online export is accelerating rapidly, opening the door to direct access to hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide.

Practical stories from many businesses, combined with strategic guidance from government bodies and leading e-commerce platforms presents a promising picture for Viet Nam’s exports in the digital era.

According to Tran Van Phuong Trinh, Senior Account Manager at Amazon Global Selling Viet Nam, this is the gateway for Vietnamese enterprises and brands to expand and conquer global markets. Millions of products from Viet Nam reach global consumers every year via Amazon, marking a solid step forward for Vietnamese brands on the international stage.

Taking ownership instead of joining passively

Appreciating the strategic cooperation efforts between regulators and top e-commerce platforms, Associate Professor Dr Nguyen Van Thinh, senior lecturer at the University of Commerce, noted that e-commerce enables businesses to take the initiative in accessing global customers, understanding trends, and building a proactive supply chain, allowing them to directly reach consumers and receive instant market feedback. This enables timely product adjustments to better meet customer demands.

However, to ensure sustainable product development, Thinh stressed that businesses must have a clear strategy and proper investment to turn this immense potential into reality. When selling on e-commerce platforms, having a good product is not enough; it must also align with the market and trends. To achieve this, businesses must seriously invest in products — from production processes to meeting quality standards. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), such investment already presents a financial burden, often limiting their trade promotion efforts.

In addition, building a supply chain plays a crucial role. Businesses need a clear orientation to develop an efficient supply chain capable of scaling and adapting to the market. Branding is also a core factor in creating product value.

In fact, cross-border e-commerce is not simply about opening an online store; it is a long-term journey requiring businesses to master the digital value chain – from data and logistics to after-sales service, advertising, and sales.

Bui Huy Hoang, Deputy Director of the Centre for E-commerce and Digital Economy Development (eComDX) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, pointed out that many Vietnamese enterprises are still stuck at the starting point – merely listing products on the platform – without a comprehensive strategy for cross-border operations. SMEs in particular struggle with multi-market order management, lack behavioural data on consumers, and lack analytical tools to optimise competitiveness.

Amid rapidly developing technology, businesses must be supported in strengthening their internal capabilities to independently manage and optimise their international e-commerce operations – instead of merely “participating” without truly “taking control”. “The key is that Vietnamese businesses need to shift from a dependency mindset to a proactive approach to global market access if they want e-commerce to become a sustainable growth driver,” Hoang emphasised.