Industrial manufacturing index up in six months

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s industrial manufacturing index increased by about 8.6 percent in June, the General Statistics Office (GSO) has announced. 

In the first six months, the index rose 6.2 percent, lower than 7.2 percent in the same period last year but above the 5.8 percent growth in the first five months.

Ha Quang Tuyen, head of the GSO’s National Account Department, said 17 out of 21 sectors recorded higher growth quarter-on-quarter, including manufacturing and processing, up 10.5 percent, contributing 7.4 percentage points to overall growth, electricity manufacturing and distribution (up 8 percent) and water supply and waste treatment (7.8 percent).

Only mining fell by 8.2 percent due to a 11.6 percent decrease in exploitation of crude oil and natural gas.

In the six months, metal production rose 33.8 percent, electronics, optical equipment and computers 15.3 percent and paper and paper products 10.2 percent.

Several industrial products registered higher growth in the first half, including television (39.1 percent), rolled steel (26.1 percent), steel and iron (25.6 percent), urea fertiliser (19.4 percent), natural fiber fabric (17.5 percent) and powder milk (10.4 percent).

As of June 1, the inventory index in manufacturing and processing sector soared 10.2 percent, including beverages (up 88.8 percent), metal production (52.4 percent) and electrical equipment (33.1 percent).

Tuyen said that several large-scale steel plants, which will become operational this year, will fuel the growth of the manufacturing and processing sector. -VNA