Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of 1.8 billion USD in the first three months of this year, accounting for 9 percent over the total export-import turnover.

Of those, the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector, including crude oil, had a trade surplus of 2 billion USD. Domestic enterprises had a trade deficit of 3.8 billion USD.

The figure was released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment on March 25.

Export turnover for the first quarter was evaluated at nearly 35.7 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 6.9 percent.

FDI sector exports excluding crude oil, reached 24.02 billion USD, increasing by 16.2 percent compared with the same period last year and accounting for 67.5 percent of total export turnover.

FDI sector exports including crude oil, reached 25.08 billion USD, a 12.9 percent increase.

Domestic enterprises' export value reached 10.6 billion USD, decreasing by 5.1 percent.

Telephones and components, garments and textiles were key export commodities in the first quarter with export values of 6.67 billion USD and 4.75 billion USD, respectively.

Crude oil's export value fell by 31.2 percent with 1.063 million tonnes. Coal exports reached 609,000 tonnes, decreasing by 78.6 percent.

Total import turnover in the first quarter was estimated at 37.5 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 16.3 percent. Of those, the FDI sector overwhelmingly imported 23.1 billion USD and domestic firms imported 14.4 billion USD.-VNA