Industrial sector reports 9% growth in 2022

Workers during a shift in a textile company in the northern province of Hưng Yên. VNA/VNS Photo

Việt Nam's industrial sector grew by 9 per cent in 2022, according to a report published on Monday by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Minister Nguyễn Hồng Diên said the sector had made significant progress despite numerous difficulties and challenges including complicated geo-political developments around the world, rising trade protectionism, disrupted supply chains in the aftermath of a global pandemic and tightened monetary policies by major central banks.

"In order to better respond to and mitigate the damage caused to Việt Nam's economy our ministry has been working closely with other governmental agencies, local authorities, business leaders and experts to strengthen the country's domestic supply networks and persify our export markets," he said.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Trần Quốc Khánh, said this year's 9 per cent growth reflected the sector's resilience and ability to adapt to the post-pandemic global economy.

In addition, the sector had stayed on the right course with a growing portion of high-tech, manufacturing/processing industries and a shrinking portion of natural resource extraction-based industries.

Export of manufactured and processed goods maintained good momentum to grow by 86 per cent this year, compared to 85.5 per cent the previous year.

This year, manufacturing and processing, which reported growth of 9.5 per cent, continued to be the main driver for the entire sector, contributing 86 per cent to the country's total export despite difficulties to secure orders in major industries such as footwear, textile, furniture and electronics.

Major shortcomings such as being overly reliant on imports of raw material, sub-par productivity and efficiency, however, continued to plague its development

Diên said the sector's targets for next year would include keeping a growth rate at 8-9 per cent, bringing manufacturing/processing industries' share of total GDP to over 25 per cent, increasing total import/export turnover by 6 per cent and maintaining a trade surplus.

The continuation of sectoral restructuring which encourages industries that employ digitalisation, the application of advanced science and technology, as well as addressing numerous challenges faced by the sector would be among the ministry's top priorities for 2023.

Others would include greater integration into the global supply chain and the global economy, the development of the domestic capacity to provide raw materials for industrial production, focus on the auto industry and energy supply.

Regarding the recent fuel shortage and fuel trader's grievances over rising costs and declining profits, MoIT's leaders said the ministry was to keep a close watch on developments in the global oil market and measures were to be taken to improve the management of domestic fuel trading activities.