A worker produces face masks. Viet Nam exported more than US$308.3 million worth of goods to France in January, up 28 per cent year-on-year. — Photo thuonghieucongluan.com.vn

Viet Nam remains France’s largest goods supplier in ASEAN and Vietnamese exports still have the opportunity to penetrate further into the European market.

The General Department of Customs reported that Viet Nam exported more than US$308.3 million worth of goods to France in January, up 28 per cent year-on-year.

Viet Nam also imported $175 million worth of goods from the country, a year-on-year rise of 92 per cent, resulting in a trade surplus of $133.3 million.

The highest gains were seen in means of transport and spare parts, garment-textiles, leather and footwear materials, and rice.

Phones and spare parts was a main driver, with export revenue exceeding $81.6 million.

France is also the second-largest importer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables in the EU, behind the Netherlands, with over $3.5 million worth shipped to the country in January, up 17 per cent year-on-year.

The results are attributable to the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which took effect last August.

According to the European-American Market Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, France has long been one of Viet Nam’s major trade partners in the EU.

It is Viet Nam’s fourth-largest importer in the bloc, after the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria.

Viet Nam’s exports to the country are expected to bounce back at the end of this quarter when the pandemic is better contained and lockdowns are lifted in France. — VNS