Viet Nam imported flowers and ornamental plants worth US$18 million from December 1, 2017, to January 31, 2018, for the Lunar New Year.

This is a sharp increase of 46.8 per cent against last year, according to the General Department of Customs.

The countries witnessing a high surge in export value of these products to Viet Nam included the Netherlands (up 76 per cent to $5 million compared to before Tet last year) and China (up 80.8 per cent to $3.6 million).

This year’s imported products included fresh flowers and living ornamental plants reaching $7.9 million, accounting for 43.8 per cent of the total import value. They included orchids, rhododendron, dumb cane plants and cedrus bonsai trees.

Of these, flowers and plants worth $3.3 million, including orchids reaching over $2 million, were imported from mainland China, while the imports from Taiwan and Japan were worth $2.7 million and $1 million, respectively.

Viet Nam imported flowers having tuberous plants worth $7.6 million, accounting for 42.1 per cent of the total import value of flowers and ornamental plants.

Lilies reached an import turnover of $4.4 million from the Netherlands, $1.1 million from New Zealand and $1 million from France.

The General Department of Customs said flowers in the form of branches reached an import value of $2.4 million, down slightly from $2.5 million before Tet last year.

Notably, fresh orchids imported from Thailand reached an import value of $2.2 million. – VNS