Vietnam exported 77.7 billion USD worth of commodities during the first half of 2015, a year-on-year increase of 9.3 percent, the General Statistics Office estimated.

The growth rate was lower than the 15.4 percent rise recorded during the same period last year.

Domestic enterprises shipped abroad 22.8 billion USD worth of goods during the period through June, a drop of 2.9 percent.

Meanwhile, foreign invested companies saw a total export turnover, including crude oil, of 54.9 billion USD, rising by 15.3 percent from a year earlier and making up 70.6 percent of the total exports – the highest ratio ever.

Among key export commodities, telephones and components brought home 14.7 billion USD (up 27.1 percent), computers and components – 7.4 billion USD (up 60.4 percent), footwear – 5.9 billion USD (21.9 percent), and cashew nuts – 1.1 billion USD (28.4 percent).

Overseas shipments in June alone were estimated at some 14.3 billion USD, up 4.4 percent from the previous month.

Over the first two quarters, Vietnam posted an import turnover of 81.5 billion USD, a year-on-year surge of 17.7 percent, compared to 10.5 percent a year before.

As a result, the six-month period saw a trade deficit of 3.7 billion USD, equivalent to 4.8 percent of the total export value.-VNA