Vietnam is estimated to have reported a trade surplus of US$801 million in the first four months this year, the government’s General Statistics Office said on April 24.
In the first four months, Vietnam is estimated to have exported US$18.636 billion, down 0.1 per cent, while imported US$17.835 billion, down 41 per cent on year, the GSO noted.
The country’s trade surplus during the period is driven by the rocketing exports values of gemstones and gold and rice, GSO said.
In the first four months, of the country’s leading ten exports, apparels took the lead with a value of US$2.593 billion, up 1.8 per cent on year, followed by gemstone and gold with US$2.542 billion, crude oil sector with US$1.976 billion, down 44.7 per cent, footwear with US$1.237 billion, down 10.8 per cent, rice with US$1.162 billion, up 43.9 per cent, seafood with US$1.058 billion, down 7.3 per cent, coffee with US$809 million, down 12.6 per cent, electronic, PC and spare parts with US$707 million, down 7.1 per cent, coal with US$389 million, down 9.6 per cent.
In the period, foreign-invested sector is estimated to have shipped US$8.397 billion of goods, down 20.7 per cent from a year earlier while the domestic sectors are forecast to have exported US$10.239 billion, up 26.9 per cent on year.
Vietnam’s ten key imports are machinery and equipments with US$3.365 billion, down 27.3 per cent, petroleum products with US$1.679 billion, down 57.3 per cent, cloth with US$1.239 billion, down 7.7 per cent, steel and steel ingots with US$1.158 billion, down 67.7 per cent, electronic, PC and spare parts with US$954 million, down 21 per cent, plastics with US$694 million, down 31.5 per cent, apparel accessories with US$599 million, down 19.8 per cent, automobiles with US$517 million, down 50.9 per cent and fertilizer with US$466 million, down 33.8 per cent.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade forecast that Vietnam will likely incur between US$1.2 billion and US$1.5 billion trade deficit in the first half as its exports will fall amid the global turmoil.
In Jan-Apr last year, Vietnam reported a hefty trade gap of US$11.569 billion, GSO said.
Communist Vietnam is expected to spend up to US$8 billion to boost the domestic demand and exports to maintain the growth of 5 per cent to 5.5 per cent, state media said. (GSO April, 2009)
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