Kien Giang’s Q1 exports up 32 percent

Kien Giang (VNA) - Export revenues in the southern province of Kien Giang hit 153 million USD in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year surge of 32 percent despite the complexities created by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the province’s Department of Industry and Trade.

In March alone, it earned in excess of 60.5 million USD, up 16.6 percent against February.

The export of certain products grew handily in the January-March period, notably rice (94.6 percent), seafood (17.4 percent), and footwear (5.1 percent).

However, earnings for frozen products, including shrimp, fish, and squid, all declined.

Department Director Ngo Kim Tuoc said products from Kien Giang were shipped to 30 countries and territories in the first quarter, with the Philippines, Japan, and Republic of Korea leading the way and buying the three staples of rice, seafood, and footwear.

The quarterly increase was attributed to contracts signed with partners prior to COVID-19 outbreak. Countries and territories had yet to restrict imports in the initial stages of the epidemic, he explained, when little impact was seen on global trade.

Some countries then bolstered rice purchases for their reserves as the disease spread, resulting in exports of the grain doubling the amount exported in the same period last year.

The province has set itself a target of earning 194 million USD from exports in the second quarter, for a first half figure of more than 347 million USD, or 44.5 percent of the annual plan.

To realise its targets, Kien Giang will continue to keep a close watch on the situation and global markets as well as ensure stable production of rice and seafood./.