According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the best performers in the period included rice, fruit and vegetables, key forestry products and seafood. 

Exports to major markets like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Republic of Korea (RoK), China, the US and Japan increased significantly over the past eight months. 

The country exported about 4.4 million tonnes of rice worth 2.2 million USD between January-August, up 6.8 percent in volume and 22.1 percent in value from the same period last year. In August alone, 441,000 tonnes valued at 209 million USD was shipped abroad. 

China remained Vietnam’s largest rice importer, making up 24.7 percent of the market share. 

Strong growth in rice export was also seen in other markets like Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines, Malaysia, Ivory Coast and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Vietnam earned 5.6 billion USD from the export of wood and timber products, representing a year-on-year rise of 12.6 percent. The US, China, Japan and the RoK were the country’s major markets in this sector. 

During the reviewed period, the country exported 5.5 billion USD worth of aquatic products, up 5.3 percent from the corresponding time last year, mostly to the US, Japan, China, and the RoK. 

Fruit and vegetable exports posted 2.7 billion USD, up 14.1 percent year-on-year.

However, other key agricultural products like pepper, coffee and rubber saw export value decrease in the past eight months. 

The ministry said import turnover of the sector also expanded by 9.2 percent to 20.72 billion USD, with strongest growth in Urea, corn, seafood, wheat, fruit and vegetables, cattle feed and materials.-