The December consumer price index (CPI) in Ha Noi fell slightly, the Ha Noi Statistics Office reported. — Photo www.vnmedia.vn

The December consumer price index (CPI) in Ha Noi fell slightly, the Ha Noi Statistics Office reported.

The slight fall was attributed to a recent decline in the prices of some groups of commodities, including vegetables, gas and petroleum, electricity, housing and construction materials.

An upturn was seen in food, particularly the price of rice, because a huge amount of rice was mobilised for the flood-hit central provinces.

The import and export values of Ha Noi increased slightly in the month. Export value climbed to US$928 million, up 3 per cent from the previous month and 2.1 per cent from the same period last year. The year’s export value was $10.61 billion, a year-on-year increase of 1.3 per cent.

The month’s import value was $2.41 billion, up 0.8 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively, against the previous month and the same period last year. The year’s import value was $24.83 billion, falling 3.9 per cent from the same period last year.

Several goods saw a major drop in import value, including petroleum and oil (22.5 per cent), fertiliser (13.8 per cent) and chemicals (14.3 per cent).

Also in December, Ha Noi welcomed 254,000 foreign tourists, up 2.4 per cent from the previous month and 3.6 per cent from the same period last year. The number of domestic visitors was 807,000, up 1.8 per cent and 8.1 per cent, respectively. The city’s tourism sector earned nearly VND4.79 trillion ($210.6 million), up 12 per cent and 10.7 per cent.

In 2016, the city accommodated 2.8 million international tourists and 9.24 million domestic visitors, year-on-year increases of 19.9 per cent and 4.3 per cent, respectively, generating over VND55.1 trillion ($2.42 billion), up 10.6 per cent. – VNS