Over-reliance on input material imports, small production value and outdated technology were among the major weaknesses of Vietnam's steel industry, said a recent report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

VOV.VN - Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of US$1.62 billion during the first half of April, while exports fell by 20.9% to US$15.28 billion compared to the second half of March, according to figures given by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

VOV.VN - The agricultural sector is expected to meet its set target of earning US$44 billion from exports this year following its impressive performance over the past nine months despite the negative COVID-19 impact.

Vietnam has advantages to develop a materials industry but has not developed in line with its potential, Tran Tuan Anh, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, said at a conference held on April 10 in Ho Chi Minh City.

VOV.VN - There remains plenty of room to expand the export of Vietnamese goods to the European Union as the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control between now and the end of the year, according to Nguyen Trung Tien, deputy general director of the General Statistics Office (GSO).

While local sugarcane farmers have been taking a fair dent from the effects of the pandemic, regional competition fuelled by the commitments of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement has further put pressure on them, leading to a daunting situation for the already declining sector.

The ratio of Vietnamese goods imported and used as input materials by foreign countries is decreasing, while the ratio of Vietnam’s import of input materials to produce goods for end-consumption is increasing.