The southern province of Binh Duong is expecting to post a trade surplus of 2.86 billion USD in 2013, according to the provincial People's Committee.

By the year-end, Binh Duong, one of the country’s biggest economic hubs, hopes to gain an export value of over 14.44 billion USD, up 15.7 percent annually, with the foreign-invested sector making up 81.3 percent of the total.

Its imports are forecast to reach 11.58 billion USD, with raw materials for production as well as machinery and equipment adding to a year-on-year increase of 16.5 percent.

The head of the Binh Duong Importers and Exporters Club, Pham Van Xo, said the club's 156 members had all signed export contracts until the end of the year, and the apparel, leather and footwear industries had received large orders for cheap, high quality goods.

Enterprises must cut production costs, apply modern technology and employ qualified staff to increase profits, Xo said.

This year, local leather and footwear enterprises had been producing good designs and applying modern technology in production and management to reduce risks, he said.

Binh Duong Department of Industry and Trade revealed that the locality had exported 9 billion USD worth of goods over the first nine months of this year, surging 15.6 percent year-on-year.

Department Director Vo Van Cu attributed the performance to stable foreign exchange rates and falling material prices and interest rates, as well as recovering foreign markets such as the US, the EU and Japan.

During the reviewed period, the province's imports saw a yearly increase of 16.5 percent to 7.8 billion USD, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.2 billion USD.-VNA