Total export turnover for Ho Chi Minh City in 2012 is estimated at 30.25 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 7.36 percent, according the Municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

The Department's Deputy Director, Huynh Khanh Hiep, said at a recent city cabinet meeting that domestic firms accounted for 21.45 billion USD of the export turnover, up 4.56 percent over the previous year, and foreign-invested enterprises posted the remaining 8.8 billion USD, up 14.87 percent.

The five products with exports exceeding 1 billion USD in 2012 are textile and garments, electrical and electronic products, rice, footwear and rubber products.

With the deduction of crude oil exports, the city's exports amount to 21.55 billion USD, an increase of 13.2 percent compared with the same period last year.

There had been significant increases in the export of processed and manufactured goods as well as hi-tech products, and a steady decrease in the export of raw materials, said Hiep.

Value additions had been seen in the export of rice, coffee, rubber and seafood products, he said.

This year also saw new products with high export growth rates like electronic and computer components.

The city's goods have been shipped to 228 countries and territories this year, marking an increase of four new markets compared with 2011.

HCM City currently has some 18,000 companies involved in international trade.

In 2013, it targets a GDP (gross domestic product) growth of over 9.5 percent and a per capita income of 4,000 USD.

It also targets investments of 248.5 trillion VND (11.9 billion USD), accounting for over 36 percent of the city’s GDP; bringing the city’s CPI (consumer price index) to below the national figure, and increasing export revenues by 13.5 percent compared with 2012.-VNA