Preliminary statistics from General Department of Customs showed that total import-export turnover in the first 15 days of January reached 29.79 billion USD, down by 0.6% compared to the previous period.
Export turnover reached 15.1 billion USD, down by 7.5% compared to the second half of December 2023, out of which, FDI enterprises contributed 11 billion USD.
In the first half of January, there were 4 export product groups with a turnover of 1 billion USD or more, including: phones and components; computers, electronic products and components; machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts; textile.
Out of which, phones and components lead with 2.86 billion USD, accounting for nearly 19% of the country's export turnover. The second was computers, electronic products and components with 2.24 billion USD, accounting for 14.85 billion. Machinery, equipment, tools, spare parts; textile and garment with the following results: 1.63 billion USD, accounting for 10.8%; nearly 1.3 billion USD, accounting for 8.55%.
Four key product groups alone accounted for 53.2% of the country's export turnover.
Import turnover in the first half of January reached 14.7 billion USD, an increase of 7.6% compared to the previous period. Out of which, turnover of FDI enterprises reached 9.48 billion USD.
Two groups of USD imported goods are computers, electronic products and components reaching 4.27 billion USD; machinery, equipment, tools, and spare parts reached 1.92 billion USD.
Thus, trade balance in the past 15 days had a surplus of about 400 million USD.
In agricultural sector, in the first half of January 2024, the country's fruit and vegetable export turnover continued to maintain impressive growth, reaching 229.37 million USD, up to 50% (equivalent to an increase in turnover of more than 76 million USD), reaching approximately figure of the whole month of January 2023 (January 2023 reached 240.47 million USD).
According to Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam's export picture is still recording risk factors when the world economic recovery is still quite fragile.
The global economy in 2024 is not brighter, purchasing power is still slow, export activities are even more difficult when tensions in the Red Sea directly affect vital shipping route, pushing up shipping costs to Vietnam's main export markets such as the United States, EU and Canada to increase sharply.
Red Sea tensions have a negative impact on international trade, goods transported by sea between Asia - Europe and the East Coast of North America take longer and are more expensive. This causes disadvantages for Vietnam in recovering exports.
Ministry of Industry and Trade has also recommended that industry associations and logistics businesses need to monitor and update situation to enterprises to proactively plan production, import and export. At the same time, seek and diversify supply sources to limit impact on supply chain, learn about rail transportation methods to have other options for delivery methods.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn