A growing market in which Italy plays a leading role in the supply of printing presses and materials.
Vietnamese demand for graphics and paper converting machinery
By the end of 2025 (preliminary estimates), Vietnam is estimated to have ranked 6th overall among global importing countries for graphics and paper converting machinery. By the end of 2025, in fact, imports into this market are estimated to have exceeded €700 million for the first time. This represents a 77% increase on pre-pandemic levels (2019), with an average annual growth rate of around +10% in euro terms for the period 2020–2025. Italy ranks only ninth in the list of supplier countries to the Vietnamese market, with an estimated export value last year of €6.8 million (equivalent to 1.1%) – a long way behind Germany (the leading European competitor), which, with a 7.8% share, ranks third in the list. According to ExportPlanning forecasts, in the 2026–2029 scenario, Italian exports are expected to accelerate significantly, at an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of +27.5% in euro terms (reaching €18 million by the end of the period).
Breakdown of Vietnamese imports by sector
Looking at the various sectors in detail, in 2025 (preliminary figures) Vietnamese imports were highest for printing machinery (€347.6 million) and converting machinery (€252.6 million), followed – some way behind – by paper converting machinery (€66.7 million), machinery and materials for plate making (€29.5 million) and bookbinding machinery (€9.2 million). In the 2026–2029 scenario, the largest contributions to the growth of Vietnamese imports are expected to come – in order – from the printing machinery sector (+€18.6 million, equivalent to an average annual growth of 1.3 percentage points) and the converting machinery sector (+€17.2 million, corresponding to 1.7 percentage points per year).
Italian exports to the Vietnamese market by sector
In 2025, Italian exports reached their highest levels in the printing machinery sector (€3.6 million) and the machinery and materials for plate making sector (€2.5 million), whilst they were negligible or very low in the other sectors. In the 2026–2029 scenario, Italian exports are expected to receive the most significant boost from sales of converting machinery (+€7.1 million, driven by a sharp acceleration already anticipated in 2026) and printing machinery (+€4 million, equivalent to a CAGR of +20.2%), whereas trends in other sectors are expected to be decidedly sluggish.
Vietnamese production in the graphics-paper-converting sector
Vietnamese production is estimated at around €7.8 billion (preliminary figures for 2025), making the country the 19th largest producer in the sector worldwide. During the period under review, Vietnamese production of these products showed sustained and prolonged growth, with an average annual rate over the last fifteen years of +15.6% in euro terms. Vietnam’s main figures relate to the Flexible Packaging segment (estimated at €2.6 billion in 2025 preliminary figures, ranking 16th globally) and the Bags/Shoppers segment (€1.5 billion, ranking 4th globally). Positive results in Vietnamese production are also relevant in the segments of Paper Manufacturing Products (6th position worldwide, with a value of nearly €1 billion), Packaging Paper and Other Paper Manufacturing products (EUR 788 million), and Finished Tissue Products (EUR 700 million).
Steady Growth
The analysis of the Vietnamese market highlights a recent phase of strong growth, with imports in the sector reaching record levels in 2025, making Vietnam the 6th largest importing country worldwide within the supply chain. Vietnamese production shows its highest values in the Flexible Packaging segment (EUR 2.6 billion in 2025, preliminary estimates) and Bags/Shopping Bags (EUR 1.5 billion, ranking 4th worldwide), as well as a high level of specialization in the Paper Manufacturing Products segment (EUR 1 billion, ranking 6th worldwide).
However, the qualitative composition of Vietnamese imports shows a limited share of higher price ranges, accounting for approximately 17% of total import flows. Italian sales to the Vietnamese market in this sector remain relatively limited (EUR 6.8 million estimated for 2025 preliminary figures), ranking only 9th among the country’s trade partners (and trailing significantly behind Germany).
The development outlook for this market over the next four-year period (2026–2029) appears moderately positive; in particular, an acceleration is expected for Italian exports in the sector, projected to grow by more than EUR 11 million by 2029. This growth will be mainly driven by converting machinery, expected to increase its sales by EUR 7.1 million, and— to a lesser extent — printing machinery, forecast to grow by approximately EUR 4 million.
