Vietnam's top 10 export commodities in 3 quarters

Vietnam's import-export trade value reached over 217.48 billion U.S. dollars in the first three quarters of this year, up 13 percent, or 24.99 billion U.S. dollars more than last year's corresponding period, according to the General Department of Customs on Monday.

Of the total value, the export fetched over 109.87 billion U.S. dollars, up 14.4 percent, or 13.83 billion U.S. dollars more, year on year, thanks to the huge incomes from the top 10 export commodities.

Topping the list was telephone and devices group, which brought 17.26 billion dollars to the country as the end of the third quarter, an increase of 11.3 percent (equivalent with 1.75 billion dollars) over the same period last year.

Major importers of telephones and devices from Vietnam was the European Union (EU) with 6.29 billion dollars, up 2.4 percent and accounting for 44 percent of the country's total export value of this commodity. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) came next with 2.85 billion dollars, up 8.2 percent, and the United States as the third with 916 million dollars, up three times, year on year.

The country earned 15.52 billion dollars from garment and textile exports during the three quarters, a year-on-year increase of 19 percent, or 2.48 billion dollars more.

The main importing markets included the United States with 7.36 billion dollars (up 15.5 percent), the EU with 2.44 billion dollars (up 24.1 percent) and Japan with 1.93 billion dollars (up 10.9 percent).

Ranking third in the list with the largest export value was computers, electronic products and appliances group, which hit 7. 49 billion dollars during the reviewed period, however the figure posted a decrease of 2.1 percent compared with the same period last year.

China was the largest importer of those items with 1.53 billion dollars (down 5.9 percent), followed by the EU with 1.45 billion dollars (down 15.4 percent), and the United States with 1.26 billion dollars (up 32.1 percent).

Meanwhile, total value of footwear exports during the three quarters reached 7.44 billion dollars, up 24.5 percent year on year. Major importers included the EU with 2.55 billion dollars ( up 25.2 percent), the United States with 2.41 billion dollars (up 25.6 percent) and Japan with 396 million dollars (up 38.1 percent).

In addition, exports of materials for garments, textiles, leather and footwear making also earned 785 million dollars, up 15. 6 percent, year on year.

The fifth largest export earner during the nine-month period was crude oil, with a total value of 5.81 billion U.S. dollars, up 9.1 percent year on year.

During the reviewed period, Vietnam's crude oil was mainly exported to Australia (1.71 million tons, up 43.6 percent), Japan (1.61 million tons, down 9.2 percent), and China (1.27 million tons, up 96.1 percent).

The other five groups in the top-ten export list included seafood with 5.75 billion dollars (up 23.7 percent); coffee with 2. 88 billion dollars (up 35.3 percent in volume and 31 percent in value); rice with 2.28 billion dollars (down 2 percent); cameras, movie cameras and devices with 1.28 billion dollars (up 36.4 percent); and rubber with 1.23 billion dollars (down 28 percent).

In the three quarters, Vietnam spent 107.6 billion dollars for imports from the world markets (up 11.6 percent year on year), which resulted in a trade surplus of nearly 2.27 billion dollars for the country so far this year, reported the customs office.