An estimated $2.6 billion worth of cell phones and phone components was exported last month, taking to $7.4 billion the total in January-March, down 10.7 percent year-on-year, according to the general Statistical Office.

In previous years, mobile phones and phone parts were always the biggest earner, making up about 20 percent of the nation’s total export revenues. However, in the first quarter of 2017 they represented only 16.9 percent of the nation’s total exports.

Recent data of the general Department of Customs shows phones manufactured in Vietnam are shipped to many foreign markets, including Europe, the US, the United Arab Emirates and Southeast Asia.

Nevertheless, mobile phones and phone components remained the biggest export revenue earner in the first quarter.

In the first three months, a number of major agricultural items suffered an export fall versus the same period last year. Rice, pepper and cassava exports, for example, totalled $524 million, $315 million and $309 million respectively, down 23.3 percent, 13.9 percent and 1.3 percent year-on-year.

Still, some key products registered positive export growth in the first quarter. For instance, textile and garment brought in $5.6 billion, up 10.2 percent, electronics, computers and components $5.3 billion, up 42.3 percent, footwear $3.1 billion, up 10.5 percent, and machinery, equipment and spare parts $2.8 billion, up 34.6 percent.

Foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) still held a lion’s share of key exports, with 97.3 percent in electronics, computers and components, 91.9 percent in machinery, equipment and spare parts, and 60.1 percent in textile and garment.

Overall, the nation’s January-March export turnover soared 12.8 percent year-on-year to $43.7 billion. With prices not factored in, the growth would be 6.7 percent.

Meanwhile, imports totalled $45.6 billion in the first three months, up 22.4 percent year-on-year. The rise would be 19.9 percent if the price factor was excluded.

Thus, the country ran a trade deficit of $1.9 billion in the first quarter, with domestic firms causing a deficit of $6.06 billion and FIEs bringing a trade surplus of $4.16 billion, inclusive of crude oil.

The large trade deficit in the first quarter is ascribed to the plunge in mobile phone and phone parts exports.

In addition, the surge in imports of items used for domestic production such as machinery and equipment, computers, components, fabrics and footwear materials contributed to the trade deficit.