Exports of fruit and vegetables in Vietnam hit a record high of 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of 2023, mainly thanks to the high demand from China, according to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The export revenue jumped 64.2 percent from the same period last year, equivalent to the figure of the entire 2022, local newspaper Tuoi Tre reported on Tuesday.
With an abundant supply, in the second half of 2023, fruit and vegetable exports will be very positive if they meet the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) requirements of the Chinese market.
Exports 4.2 mln tonnes of rice in H1
Vietnam earned 2.3 billion U.S. dollars from exporting 4.2 million tonnes of rice in the first half of this year, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Its largest rice importers include the Philippines and China, according to the ministry.
Vietnam will export more rice to the Philippines, which could have its domestic food production affected by the impact of the El Nino phenomenon in the second half of this year, the local newspaper Vietnam News reported on Wednesday.
In the six-month period, Vietnam's rice export increased 22.2 percent in volume and rose 34.7 percent in value year on year, according to the General Statistics Office.
Weak demand drags on manufacturers
Manufacturers in Vietnam continued to struggle in the face of weak market demand with falling output and new orders in June, according to a report released by S&P Global Market Intelligence on Monday. The situation forced firms to scale back their staffing levels and purchasing activity, while prices decreased, the report said.
The S&P Global Vietnam manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) posted below the 50.0 no-change mark for the fourth month running in June, signaling a sustained deterioration in the health of the sector, it said. It increased to 46.2 in June, up from 45.3 in May with the latest reading pointing to a "solid decline" in operating conditions, according to the report.
Attracts less foreign investment in 6 months
Vietnam attracted an estimated foreign investment of 13.43 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of this year, down 4.3 percent year on year, showed the latest statistics of the country's General Statistics Office on Friday. During the period, Vietnam licensed 1.293 new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with total registered capital of 6.49 billion dollars, up 71.9 percent in quantity and 31.3 percent in capital year on year.
The country also saw 632 operational FDI projects raise capital by 2.93 billion dollars in total over the six months, down 57.1 percent year on year.
From January to June, the disbursed FDI capital totaled 10.02 billion dollars, up 0.5 percent year on year, according to the office.
Among countries and regions with newly licensed investment projects in Vietnam during the cited period, Singapore was the largest source of registered capital with 1.79 billion dollars, followed by China with 1.29 billion dollars and China's Hong Kong with 773.9 million dollars, according to the office.
Welcomes 5.6 mln int'l visitors in H1
Vietnam welcomed nearly 5.6 million international arrivals in the first half of this year, more than half of this year's target of 8 million but just equal to 65.7 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO) on Thursday.
During the period, foreign arrivals to Vietnam by air accounted for 87.6 percent of the total, followed by road with 11.4 percent and sea routes with 1 percent.
Most of the arrivals in the first six months were from Asia, with around 75.2 percent, followed by tourists from Europe and the United States, data showed.
The largest markets for Vietnam's tourism during the January-June period include South Korea, China and the United States.
Over 557,100 Chinese tourists arrived in Vietnam over the period, said the GSO, adding that South Korea remained the top source of tourist arrivals with over 1.6 million visitors, while the United States ranked third with nearly 373,800 arrivals.
Chinese tourists accounted for one-third of international arrivals to Vietnam in 2019, the year before the onset of the pandemic.
Vietnam's top legislature has recently approved a looser electronic visa policy by tripling the length of time that foreign travelers are allowed to stay in the country to 90 days, according to a report by Vietnam News Agency.
Firm establishment down slightly in H1
About 75,900 enterprises were estimated to be formed in Vietnam in the first half of this year, posting a decrease of 0.5 percent year-on-year, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday.
The registered capital of the new enterprises declined 19.8 percent on year to 707.5 trillion Vietnamese dong (29.9 billion U.S. dollars), the news agency reported, citing the General Statistics Office.
Compared to the same period last year, the formation of new firms decreased 6.5 percent in the industry and construction sector, rose 2.1 percent in the services sector, and declined 25.5 percent in the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector. Between January and June, nearly 37,700 firms that previously ceased operations due to difficulties, resumed their activities, down 7.4 percent on the year. However, in the same period, around 16,700 firms were estimated to withdraw from the market each month, according to the office.
The number of newly registered firms in 2022 jumped 27.1 percent to around 148,500 from 2021.
Compiled by T.Huong
Source: Vitic