Soc Trang’s export up 19 percent in eight months

Soc Trang (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang exported close to 850 million USD worth of goods in the first eight months, meeting 85 percent of its yearly plan and increasing 19 percent year-on-year.

According to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, key export earners with good growth during the period included processed seafood - frozen shrimp and rice products that reeled in 660 million USD and 157 million USD, up 27 percent and over 43.5 percent annually, respectively.

From the beginning of the year, the COVID-19 epidemic has greatly affected the production and business of large enterprises in Soc Trang, particularly those working in seafood farming, processing and export.

Since mid July, the province has applied restriction measures under the Prime Minister’s Decree 16/CT-TTg, resulting in difficulties in travel and harvest. Firms have been facing human resources and materials shortage. Most large companies operate at just 50 percent of their capacity.

Local authorities have so far worked to ease such difficulties via such activities as giving priority in vaccination for workers at industrial parks and assisting enterprises to re-organise production in accordance with pandemic prevention measures.

In 2021, Soc Trang strives to push its export turnover to over 1 billion USD./.