Vietnam’s trade surplus reaches US$536 million in first quarter

Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of US$536 million in the first quarter of 2019, according to the General Statistics Office.

Hai Phong Port (Photo: Port of Hai Phong JSC)
Hai Phong Port (Photo: Port of Hai Phong JSC)

In the January-March period, Vietnam’s exports were estimated at US$58.51 billion, up 4.7% against the same period of last year, while imports rose 8.9% to US$57,98 billion.

Domestic enterprises exported goods worth US$17.05 billion, while the revenues gained by foreign-invested companies reached US$41.46 billion, making up more than two thirds of the country’s total exports.

The first three months of 2019 saw nine exports with respective value exceeding US$1 billion, namely mobile phones, garments, computers and electronic devices, footwear, machinery, timber, transport vehicles, seafood and steel.

The revenues of these nine exports accounted for more than 70% of Vietnam’s total exports during the period.

Vietnam’s largest imports in the first quarter were computers, machinery, fabrics, mobile phones and steel.

Some of the other main imports included plastics, metals, materials for the garment and footwear industries, chemicals and petroleum products.