Vietnam as e-commerce export hub: What does it mean for you?

7 AM, coffee still hot on my desk, I’m reading the news about Vietnam becoming the e-commerce export hub of Southeast Asia according to Larry Hu, CEO of Amazon Global Selling Southeast Asia. The headline feels important, but what matters more is what it actually means for women entrepreneurs like us who are trying to build something real. This isn’t about rankings — it’s about opportunity that’s already here.

📌 What’s happening

• Amazon Global Selling officially recognizes Vietnam as the leading e-commerce export center in Southeast Asia
• Vietnamese sellers on Amazon have increased by 150% in the past 18 months, according to Amazon data
• Vietnamese electronics and consumer goods now account for 23% of total sales value on regional e-commerce platforms
• Vietnam’s logistics infrastructure and export support policies are creating competitive advantages over neighboring countries

Source: vnexpress.net

What I see in this

This story isn’t really about numbers or global rankings. It’s about a shift in power structures within e-commerce. When Amazon — a giant with 300+ million global customers — officially recognizes Vietnam as an export hub, it means Vietnamese sellers aren’t just participating in the game anymore. We’re actually reshaping it. I find this more significant than any ranking because it changes how we should think about our own position and potential.

But here’s what puzzles me — if Vietnam is already an export hub, why do most of the women entrepreneurs I meet still only sell locally or on a couple of domestic platforms? Is it information? Is it fear? Or is there another barrier we’re not talking about openly? I’m genuinely curious what you think about this gap.

For female entrepreneurs specifically, I’m noticing something important: women who start exporting on Amazon or Shopee Global don’t just increase revenue — they change their entire identity. They stop thinking of themselves as “online sellers” and start seeing themselves as “international exporters.” That’s a powerful psychological shift, and it starts with understanding exactly where the opportunity lies.

🔍 The number nobody’s really talking about

Everyone mentions the 150% growth in seller numbers, but the real eye-opening number is average order value. When you export to Amazon US instead of selling domestically, your average order value can jump from around $20 to $150-250 depending on your product. That means you don’t need to sell 10 times more units — you just need to sell to the right customers. And Vietnam is becoming the place where that happens.

What Big E Co. Once Experienced…

In 2019, when I first started Big E Co., Mr. Le Do – Ngoc Kien Thuc Dao had no idea that exporting was a viable option. He only knew how to sell online via domestic e-commerce platforms. It was tough, fiercely competitive, and the profit margins were razor-thin. By 2024, when I was appointed as the CMO of Big E Co., I asked him a question: “Why don’t you try helping Vietnamese businesses sell on Alibaba or Amazon?” At that time, he felt afraid — afraid of English, afraid of logistics, and afraid of complex procedures.

But when I offered solutions based on my existing knowledge of export, and both of us actually rolled up our sleeves to get to work, we realized that what we feared was simply what we didn’t understand yet. Within the first 6 months of exporting, our revenue surged by 300%. Since then, I’ve always told other women in business: “The opportunity is right here; we just haven’t dared to step in.” Today’s news is proof that what happened back then wasn’t just a coincidence, but a real, ongoing trend.

So I want to ask you — knowing that Vietnam is the e-commerce export hub, but you haven’t started yet, what’s the main reason holding you back? I genuinely want to know. Schedule a free consultation and let’s talk about what’s really stopping you.