Exports of garment and footwear products reached US$15 billion in the first five months of this year, accounting for 19 per cent of the country’s total export turnover.

This was revealed by the latest statistics from the General Department of Customs.

Of the total revenue, the five-month garment export hit $9.39 billion, surging 9.1 per cent against the same period last year, the major markets being the US with a turnover of $4.58 billion, up 6.9 per cent; the EU with $1.3 billion, up 4.9 per cent, and Japan with $1.14 billion, up 10.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, footwear export in the period saw a yearly rise of 12 per cent to $5.65 billion. The leading importers of Vietnamese footwear products included the US with a value of $1.99 billion, up 13.2 per cent; the EU with $1.8 billion, up 8.7 per cent, and China with $418 million, up 29.1 per cent.

By the year-end, local garment industry is eyeing 6.5 per cent to 7 per cent export growth to more than $30 billion, while the footwear sector hopes to bring home $18 billion, a yearly rise of 10 per cent. — VNS