Vietnam is estimated to reap US$8.01 billion from goods exports in the first two months of this year, down 5.1 per cent on-year, including US$4.3 billion in February, up 15.6 per cent on-month and 25.91 per cent on-year, the government’s General Statistics Office said.
Of the sum, the foreign-invested firms contribute US$3.76 billion, down 23.4 per cent on-year and the domestic ones with US$4.25 billion, up 20.6 per cent.
The country’s exports to traditional markets like the U.S., the EU, ASEAN, and Japan see a sharp on-year decrease of 20 per cent during the two months.
Crude oil has dropped to the second place in export value after garments and textiles since September 2008. Vietnam rakes in US$958 million from exporting 2.88 million metric tons of crude oil in the first two months of this year, down 42.4 per cent on-year in value but up 26.7 per cent on-year in volume.
Apparel exports top the list with US$1.27 billion during the two months, up 0.7 per cent on-year, followed by footwear of US$658 million, down 8.3 per cent, seafood of US$461 million, down 5.8 per cent, coffee of US$440 million, down 9.6 per cent, rice with 919,000 tons worth US$399 million, up 103.6 per cent in volume and 113.2 per cent in value, woodwork products of US$327 million, down 26.3 per cent, and electronics, computers and spare parts of US$307 million, down 13.7 per cent, machines and equipment of US$208 million, and coal of US$159 million, up 9.4 per cent.
Vietnam sees the skyrocket in export of gemstone, precious metal and its products at US$939 million during Jan-Feb, up 3,052.6 per cent on-year.
During the first two month, the nation is forecast to spend US$7.72 billion on imports, down 43.1 per cent on-year, including US$4.4 billion in February, up 32.17 per cent on-month. Of the total, the domestic firms’ import value reaches US$4.91 billion, down 48.7 per cent on-year, and the foreign-invested ones with US$2.81 billion, down 29.8 per cent.
The figures result in the country’s trade surplus of US$290 million in Jan-Feb, the first time over the past three years.
Trade surplus is attributed to impacts of the global economic downturn, which pushed down sharply consumer demand and prices, Deputy Director of GSO’s Trade Department Le Thi Thanh Thuy explained.
Vietnam reports sharp on-year decreases in its all key imports during the first two months, said the GSO.
Machines, equipment and spare parts take the lead in import value with US$1.77 billion, down 24 per cent on-year, followed by petroleum products of US$753 million, down 60 per cent, cloths of US$494 million, down 4.4 per cent, electronics, computers and spare parts of US$420 million, down 30.01 per cent, steel and iron of US$412 million, down 74.2 per cent, plastics of US$312 million, down 34.4 per cent, garment and textile, and footwear accessories of US$219 million, down 27.1 per cent, and fertilizer of US$169 million, down 33.7 per cent.
This year, Vietnam’s total import value is forecast to reach US$90.3 billion, up 13 per cent from 2008, and trade gap will widen to US$19.2 billion, said Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang. (GSO Feb 2009, The People)
Vietnamese
