By 1982 Vietnam's most important noncommunist trading partners were Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In 1985 these three partners together accounted for US$576 million in trade, approximately 65 percent of Vietnam's trade with non-Comecon countries. In 1986 Japan and Hong Kong together conducted more than 50 percent of Vietnam's non-Comecon trade. Much of the trade with Hong Kong and Singapore, however, either originated in or was destined for further trade to other countries, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the trade boycott of Vietnam subscribed to by a number of Western and Asian nations, including Singapore.

Data as of December 1987