Agro-forestry-aquatic product exports hit US$13.7 billion
The export value of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products reached US$13.7 billion in the first five months of 2017, a year-on-year increase of 9.5%.
In May alone, the country’s export earnings from these products were estimated at US$2.8 billion, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The five-month increase was buoyed by a surge of 10.4% in the export value of aquatic products to US$2.8 billion, including US$618 million in May.
The US, Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) were major import markets of Vietnamese aquatic products, accounting for 53.5% of the sector’s total export value.
Vegetable and fruit exports surged 38% year on year to US$1.38 billion, with US$344 million earned in May.
The export turnover of wood and wooden products also climbed 9.9% from the same period last year, reaching US$2.9 billion. In May alone, Vietnam exported US$513 million worth of wood and wooden products.
The markets saw remarkable surges in the export value of wood and wooden products were China (35.6%), the US (16.1%), the Republic of Korea (14.7%) and German (11.2%).
Vietnam exported 538,000 tonnes of rice for US$245 million in May, raising the five-month volume to 1.3 million tonnes and value to US$1 billion, up 1.6% and 1.2% year on year, respectively. China remained the top importer of Vietnamese rice.
Coffee export saw a drop of 15.9% in volume, but an increase of 11% in value in the January-May period to 693,000 tonnes and US$1.57 billion. In May alone, Vietnam shipped 105,000 tonnes of coffee abroad for US$233 million.
According to the ministry, Vietnam’s import value of agro-forestry-aquatic products in the first five months was estimated at US$11.02 billion, up 23.6% year in year, including US$2.52 billion worth of products imported in May.