The first month of the year, exports gained a record increase of 42% with a trade surplus of US$ 181 million

	Import and export turnover of commodity groups worth US $ billion in 2018
	Major export groups in 2017
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Import and export activities in the first days of the year prospered. In photo, import and export activities at Hai Phong Port. Photo: T.B

According to preliminary statistics of the GDVC, total Vietnam’s import and export turnover in the second half in January (from 16th to 31st January) reached US$ 21.54 billion, an increase of 14.5%, equivalent to US$ 2.72 billion compared to the first 15 days of the month. Of which, export turnover of FDI enterprises reached over US $ 13.43 billion, an increase of US$ 1.03 billion compared to the first half of January.

The result has brought the total import and export turnover of the country in the first month of the year to over US $ 40.26 billion, an increase of 46.2%, equivalent to US$ 12.73 billion compared to the same period last year.

In the second half of January, the country's trade balance reached a surplus of US$ 411 million, bringing the trade surplus in the first month of the year to US $ 181 million.

For exports, the export turnover in the second half of January reached over 10.97%, thereby, bringing the export turnover in January to US $ 20.22 billion, up 41%, equivalent to US$ 5.88 billion compared to the same period 2017.

The export turnover in the second half of January is higher than the first half of the month due to the increase of some commodities such as textile and garment up 25%, equivalent to US$ 278 million; computers, electronic products and parts up 21%, equivalent to US $ 225 million; machinery, equipment, tools and others up 24.6%, equivalent to US$ 134 million.

However, the export turnover of mobile phones, the largest export commodity, reduced 13.6%, equivalent to US$ 287 million.

Notably, according to the reporter, this is the highest export growth in a month for many recent years. It is considered as a positive sign in the first month of the year for this key economic sector.

Vietnam exports surge 21% this year Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of US$2.8 billion in the first 11 months of 2017, mainly contributed ...

For imports, the total import turnover in the second half reached US$ 10.56 billion, an increase of 10.5% compared to the first half. Until the end of January, total import turnover of the country reached US$ 20.04 billion, an increase of 51.9% (equivalent to US$ 6.85 billion) compared to the same period in 2017.

The import turnover of some commodities in the second half of January sharply increased, including Petroleum products up 137.5%, equivalent to US$ 339 million; Machinery, equipment, tools and others up 11.3%, equivalent to US$ 156 million; plastic materials up 16.3%, equivalent to US$ 57 million; Fabrics up 10.6%, equivalent to US$ 53 million.