Vietnam Revises Trade Deficit to US$17.516 Bln in 2008
Vietnam has just revised its trade deficit of 2008 to US$17.516 billion, up from US$12.4 billion in 2007, the government-run General Statistics Office has said.
In early Dec last year, Vietnam’s GSO forecast that 2008’s trade deficit would be US$17 billion.
In the revised version, GSO said Vietnam exported US$62.906 billion of goods, up 29.5 per cent on year and imported up to US$80.416 billion goods, higher than initially forecast US$79.9 billion.
Vietnam spent US$13.7 billion to import machinery and equipment last year, up 23.5 per cent; US$10.89 billion to buy petroleum products, up 41.2 per cent and US$6.57 billion on steel, up 28.5 per cent on year.
Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang has forecast that trade deficit in 2009 will widen to US$19.2 billion, accounting for 27 per cent of total exports. (News Jan 2 p4, GSO Dec 2008)
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