Vietnam is forecast to reap US$29.69 billion from goods shipment in the first half of this year, an on-year increase of 31.8 per cent, the General Statistics Office (GSO) said on June 27.
Of the sum, foreign-invested firms contribute US$16.92 billion, up 33.8 per cent on-year and the domestic ones with US$12.77 billion, up 29.1 per cent.
In June, the country&rsquos total export value reaches US$5.5 billion, up 32.21 per cent on-year and 6.79 per cent on-month.
Eight items have posted value of over US$1 billion each in the first half with crude oil topping the list with 6.72 million tons worth US$5.6 billion, down 12.1 per cent on-year in volume and up 49 per cent in value, followed by garments and textiles with US$4.07 billion, up 17.7 per cent, footwear with US$2.27 billion, up 16.9 per cent, seafood with US$1.89 billion, up 14 per cent, rice with 2.51 million tons worth US$1.51 billion, up 5.8 per cent and 99 per cent, respectively, woodwork products, up 20.4 per cent, electronics and computers with US$1.23 billion, up 32.4 per cent and coffee with US$1.18 billion, down 4.1 per cent.
During the period, Vietnam imported US$44.47 billion, up 60.3 per cent on year, including US$6.8 billion worth of imports in June, up 37.37 per cent on-year and down 15 per cent on-month.
The figures result in the country&rsquos huge trade deficit of US$14.78 billion in the first half, up 2.8 times on-year and making up 49.78 per cent of Vietnam&rsquos H1 export value.
Vietnamese dong&rsquos devaluation, higher spending for materials, equipment, machinery, and steel imports for production and construction, as well as a strong import surge in automobiles are mainly attributed to the huge trade gap, said GSO economists.
Of the total six-month import value, the domestic sector spends US$30.57 billion on goods imports, up 69.9 per cent on-year and the foreign invested sector of US$13.9 billion, up 42.7 per cent.
Vietnam imports machinery and equipment (US$6.96 billion, up 45.5 per cent on-year), fuels (US$5.92 billion, up 68.9 per cent), steel and iron (US$4.59 billion, up 118.1 per cent), cloths (US$2.29 billion, up 20.3 per cent), electronics, computers and spare parts (US$1.79 billion, up 43 per cent), plastics (US$1.54 billion, up 38.8 per cent), apparel and leather accessories (US$1.22 billion, up 16.2 per cent), fertilizer (US$1.02 billion, up 130.9 per cent), chemicals (US$930 million, up 41 per cent).
Imports of automobile report the highest growth rate of 246.9 per cent to US$1.59 billion in January-June.
The government has been taking measures to curb the country&rsquos trade deficit, including raising taxes on auto imports and reducing the provision of loans for the import of consumer goods.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said in the remaining months of this year, it will boost the production of materials that can replace imports and increase the export of high-value commodities.
The ministry will also tighten the management of investment projects, especially those funded by state budget, to gradually cut spending on machinery and material imports. (GSO Jun 2008, VNA)
Vietnamese
