A mobile phone assembly line at Samsung Viet Nam. In January-February, the FDI sector enjoyed nearly $5.5 billion in trade surplus, with exports exceeding $37 billion, up 32 per cent year on year. — Photo vneconomy.vn

Foreign direct investment (FDI) firms’ import-export value reached US$68.52 billion in the first two months of 2021, a surge of 31.5 per cent from the same period last year, according to the General Department of Viet Nam Customs.

In January-February, the FDI sector enjoyed nearly $5.5 billion in trade surplus, with exports exceeding $37 billion, up 32 per cent year on year, while imports reached $31.51 billion, up 30.8 per cent.

Among sub-sectors, the machinery, tools and parts posted the largest export growth with 77 per cent, increasing $2.44 billion. It was followed by phones and spare parts ($2.2 billion, or 29 per cent), and electronics and parts ($1.85 billion, or 34 per cent).

As of February 20, $5.46 billion worth of FDI was injected into Viet Nam, equivalent to 84.4 per cent of the figure recorded in the same time last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

As many as 126 foreign projects were granted investment licences with total registered capital reaching $3.31 billion, a year-on-year decline of 33.9 per cent.

Meanwhile, 115 existing projects adjusted their investment capital with a total additional sum of $1.61 billion, or 2.5 times higher than the same time last year.

Capital contributions and share purchases by foreign investors stood at $543.1 million, down 34.4 per cent.

Foreign investors pumped capital in 17 sectors, with processing and manufacturing holding the lead with more than $3 billion or 55.7 per cent, followed by power production and distribution with $1.44 billion (26.5 per cent), real estate $485 million, and science-technology nearly $153 million. — VNS