The factory of the Kydo Vietnam garment company in Hung Yen province (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The General Department of Vietnam Customs estimates the country’s trade surplus this year at 7.21 billion USD, 5.1 billion USD higher than the figure registered last year.

The agency said on December 27 that the total trade turnover this year is likely to hit 482.23 billion USD, up 12.6 percent from a year earlier. It includes 244.72 billion USD in exports and 237.51 billion USD in imports, up 13.8 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively.

In December alone, the trade value decreased by 2.6 percent month on month to about 42.2 billion USD, including 21 billion USD in exports – down 3.4 percent, and 21.2 billion USD in imports – down 1.8 percent.

During the year, machinery, equipment and spare parts record the highest annual exports growth rate, 28 percent, to reach some 16.53 billion USD. They are followed by textile-apparel (up 16.6 percent to 30.45 billion USD) and computers, electronic products and components (up 13.4 percent to 29.45 billion USD).

Meanwhile, the fastest pace of imports is seen in fabric (up 13.5 percent to 12.91 billion USD); computers, electronic products and components (up 12.5 percent to 42.5 billion USD); and materials for textile, garment, leather and footwear production (up 5.7 percent to 5.74 billion USD), according to estimates of the Vietnam Customs. –VNA

VNA