Workers make garment for export. (Photo: VNA) The country enjoyed a trade surplus of 13.69billion USD during the same period last year.
From January to August, the domestic sector also reporteda trade deficit of 20.36 billion USD while the foreign-invested sector(including crude oil) gained a trade surplus of 16.65 billion USD.
Thirty-three items recorded import turnover of more than1 billion USD each and together they represented 88.7 percent of the total. Inputmaterials accounted for the largest share of the total imports, or 204 billionUSD, up 34 percent year on year.
China remained Vietnam’s biggest source of imports,shipping 72.5 billion USD worth of goods to the Southeast Asian country, up47.1 percent compared to a year earlier. It was followed by the Republic ofKorea with 34.6 billion USD, up 20.5 percent; and ASEAN, 28.2 billion USD and47.4 percent.
Vietnam's export turnover in the first eight months of 2021 rose by21.5 percent year on year to 212.55 billion USD, despite a decline of 5.4percent in August.
The US remained the biggest export market of Vietnam fromJanuary-August, buying 62 billion USD of Vietnamese goods, a year-on-year riseof 32.5 percent.
China came second with 32.7 billion USD, up 19.8 percent. TheEU and ASEAN followed with 26 billion USD and 18.4 billion USD, increasing by14.5 percent and 23.3 percent, respectively.
To boost overseas shipments, the Ministry of Industry andTrade said it plans to utilise opportunities from Free Trade Agreements whichVietnam is a signatory to make inroads into new markets and prioritise tradepromotions at those recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has sentan official letter to his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao and authority ofYunnan province, asking them to facilitate customs clearance of Vietnameseagricultural exports at border gates Vietnam share with the Chinese provinceand guaranteeing the highest COVID-19 preventive measures are in place toprevent new outbreaks in the border areas./.
VNA
