In the first five months of this year, Vietnam imported nearly US$ 6.4 billion worth of goods from Japan, up by 14.3 per cent over the same period last year, showed the preliminary statistics figures of the General Department of Customs.

Machines, equipment and spare parts were leading the list of items imported by the country from Japan with the import value of $ 1.74 billion, up by 7.2 per cent year – on – year and accounted for 27.4 per cent of the total.

It was followed by computers, electronics and components with $ 1.14 billion, up by 22.8 per cent; and iron and steel - $ 574.2 million, down by 17.5 per cent.

In the first five months of this year, the country’s imports of cameras, camcorders and components from Japan increased sharply by 122.6 per cent to $ 41 million; ordinary metals – up by 85.5 per cent to $ 171.5 million; cell phones and accessories – up by 80.5 per cent to $ 25.5 million; household appliances and components – up by 75 per cent to $ 8.7 million; rubber – up by 58.5 per cent to $ 61.6 million; other means of transport and spare parts – up by 54 per cent to $ 101.7 million.

However, the imports of tobacco materials and coal decreased by 99.8 per cent and 38.5 per cent, respectively year – on  - year.