Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first half of the year rose an estimated 5.5% year-on-year, of which the industry and construction sector increased 7.1% and the services sector went up 6.3%. The agriculture-aquatic-forestry sector contracted 0.18%, however.
In the industry and construction group, the industry, manufacturing and processing, and construction sectors saw respective increases of 6.8%, 10% and 8.8%, reported VGP News.
The services sector recorded the highest growth since 2012. Retail sales was up 8%; banking, finance and insurance, up 6%; and real estate, up 3.8%.
Vietnam ran a trade surplus of US$1.5 billion in the first half of 2016. The state sector announced a deficit of $9.7 billion, while the foreign-invested sector posted a surplus of $11.2 billion.
Total export value in the period covered went up to $82.2 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%, of which the state sector and foreign-invested sector contributed $23.7 billion and $58.5 billion, up 3.3% and 6.9%, respectively.
Vietnam realized $15.05 billion from shipping agro-forestry-fishery products abroad in the first half of 2016, presenting a year-on-year growth of 5.4%.
Overseas shipment of agricultural products was valued at $7.32 billion, up 5.1% against the same period last year.
Aquatic exports were estimated at $3.07 billion, a year-on-year growth of 3.8%. Meanwhile, export turnover of forestry products was valued $3.33 billion, for a year-on-year decline of 0.1%.
Vietnam’s imports for January-June were worth $80.7 billion, down 0.5% compared to the same period last year. Of the figure, the state sector and the foreign-invested sector contributed $33.4 billion and $47.3 billion, up 1.3% and down 1.8%, respectively.
Photo: Viethavvh
