Loading cargo for export at the Quy Nhon port in the central province of Gia Lai. Photo: VNA
The sum consists of 122.93 billion USD in exports and 126.57 in imports, respectively increasing 19.1% and 27%. That resulted in a trade deficit of 3.64 billion USD, compared to a surplus of 3.57 billion USD recorded in the same period last year.
During the first three months, domestic enterprises posted 24.47 billion USD in exports, falling 16.6% and accounting for 19.9% of total overseas shipments, while foreign-invested firms reported 98.46 billion USD (including crude oil), up 33.3% and making up 80.1%.
Twenty product categories achieved export revenue of over 1 billion USD each, accounting for 86.8% of the total exports. Among them, five surpassed 5 billion USD, accounting for 62.4%.
Processed industrial goods raked in 110.52 billion USD, equivalent to 89.9% of the total; agricultural and forestry products 9.34 billion USD, 7.6%; aquatic products 2.64 billion USD, 2.2%; and fuel and mineral products 0.43 billion USD, 0.3%.
In Q1, 22 imported items reached a value exceeding 1 billion USD each, making up 82.8% of total import turnover (with two items worth more than 5 billion USD each, accounting for 49.8%).
Regarding the structure of imports, production materials were valued at 118.84 billion USD, representing 93.9%. Among them, machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts accounted for 55.3%; raw materials and fuels 38.6%; and consumer goods 6.1%.
Domestic businesses imported 35.2 billion USD worth of goods during the first three months, down 4.3%, while foreign-invested companies 91.37 billion USD, up 45.3%.
In March alone, exports and imports totalled 93.55 billion USD, increasing 39.2% from the previous month and 23.9% from the same period last year.
Last month’s overseas shipments reached 46.44 billion USD, climbing 40.3% month on month. Of this, domestic firms recorded 8.96 billion USD, up 39.2% from February, and the foreign-invested sector 37.48 billion USD (including crude oil), up 40.6%.
Compared to the same period last year, the export value in March went up 20.1%, with that of the domestic sector decreasing 20.1% and the foreign-invested one (including crude oil) rising 36.5%.
Meanwhile, imports last month were estimated at 47.11 billion USD, a month-on-month increase of 38.2%. That led to a trade deficit of 0.67 billion USD in March, statistics show./.