Vietnam has enjoyed a lucrative export year with sharp increases in export revenue of almost all of agricultural, forestry and seafood products, despite plant diseases, consecutive storms and warnings on food safety, according to the Ministry of Trade.
Seafood sector continues to be the highest earner with US$3.364 billion for the whole year, posting an on-year rise of 23.1 per cent.
The sector sees tra and basa catfish exports jumping in 2006, both in volume and value. Trade Ministry said export of 250,000 tons of catfish products generates US$661 million, up from US$328 million in 2005. Previously, shrimp exports fetched the most.
Catfish product outlets have expanded to 65 countries and territories worldwide from only 17 in 2002, with EU accounting for 46 per cent (up 136 per cent in volume, 158 per cent in value on year).
Meanwhile, the woodwork sector wraps up 2006 with US$1.94 billion in export revenue, up 25 per cent on year and in second position.
This year, the sector recognized the US as the biggest consumer, followed by Japan and EU countries.
Rice exports rank third bringing in US$1.3 billion from some 4.8 million tons during 2006. Export price of Vietnamese rice averaged US$259 per ton, up US$8 per ton from 2005.
The figures present on year decreases of 7.8 per cent in value and 9.5 per cent in volume due to serious damage from stunt diseases and consecutive storms.
The diseases caused a loss of 700,000 tons of paddy or 400,000 tons of rice.
Last year, Vietnam exported 5.2 million tons of rice, earning US$1.4 billion.
2006 is considered a successful year of both rubber and coffee sectors as they, for the first time, join the $1 billion export revenue club beside seafood, woodwork and rice.
Vietnam is estimated to rake in US$1.27 billion from exporting 697,000 tons of rubber products, on year rises of as many as 58.3 per cent and 18.7 per cent, respectively.
The soaring revenue is mostly thanks to export rubber price jumping by 45 per cent from last year, which resulted from high demand on the global market. Export price of Vietnamese rubber to its biggest consumer China is now standing at some 14,500 Yuan (US$1,854) per ton.
However, trade officials warn that Vietnamese enterprises are now depending too much on the China market, which consumed 300,000 tons of rubber in 2006 while South Korea consumed only 20,000 tons and Germany 16,000 tons.
Experts advise the Vietnamese rubber sector to diversify its market, shifting to many other potential consumers like Japan and Russia.
At the same time, coffee export turnover exceeded the record of US$1 billion. For the first time, it exported 897,000 tons of coffee worth over US$1.1 billion.
Like rubber, high coffee earnings are mostly attributed to the recovery of export prices after many years of decrease. Vietnamese coffee is now selling for about US$1,170 per ton, pushing up this year’s export value by 50 per cent from last year, though the export volume is the same.
According to the Ministry of Trade, this year’s total export turnover has reached US$39.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 22 per cent.
(Vietnam Economic Times, GSO Dec Edition)
Vietnamese
