Vietnam is estimated to have exported US$5.6 billion worth of agricultural, forestry and seafood in the first four months of this year, up 12.8% from the same period of 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development estimated.
The total export revenues included US$1 billion from woodwork products, up 35.3%; US$1.2 billion from seafood, up 17.4% and US$3.4 billion from key agricultural products.
In the month Vietnam has exported US$350 million worth of seafood, raising the revenues in the Jan-Apr period to US$1.2 billion, up 17.4% on year. Of which, exports of tra and basa, and frozen shrimp increased 15.6% and 11.7% on year, respectively.
The country exported US$1 billion in the first four months, including US$300 million in April.
The ministry said Vietnamese firms exported 700,000 tons of rice worth US$385 million in Apr, raising total exported volume in the Jan-Apr period to 2.14 million tons valued at US$1.18 billion.
The period figures showed on year decrease of 13.8% in volume but the value remains unchanged, mostly thanks to an increase of 20.3% in export prices, the ministry said, but forecasting that the prices are falling.
The export of rubber in Jan-Apr doubled to US$445 million despite a slight rise of 23.8% in volume at 173,000 tons. Export prices of Vietnamese rubber were averaging at US$2,640/ton, up 92.6% from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, export of coffee dropped 21.9% in value at US$651 million from 465,000 tons.
The country also exported 43,000 tons of pepper for US$130 million in Jan-Apr, marking on year rises of 9.6% in volume and 39.5% in value. The U.S., Germany and India remained as the biggest importers.
But the country also spent up to US$5 billion on importing agricultural materials in the first four months of this year, up 77% on year, the ministry said. (Vietnam Economic Times)
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