Viet Nam recorded a trade deficit of US$1.8 billion over the last three months, accounting for 9 per cent over the total export-import turnover, according to a report recently released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. — Photo ndh

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Several export enterprises are optimistic about receiving orders from overseas markets in the second quarter of the year, a survey conducted by the General Statistics Office has revealed.

As much as 42.9 per cent of the 3,245 respondents of the survey predicted that export orders would increase in the April-June period, while 43.1 per cent believed that orders would remain stable, and only 14 per cent foresaw orders decreasing.

Firms that were of the opinion that export orders would rise specialise in a wide range of sectors, including tobacco production, pharmaceuticals, motor vehicles, leather and leather-based products, electronics and computers, and optical products.

Further, about 58.4 per cent of the enterprises that participated in the survey believed that production costs in the second quarter would remain stable; 28.6 per cent predict production costs would rise; and 13 per cent said they hoped for a decrease in production costs.

According to the survey, 65 per cent of businesses expected inventories to increase; 47.6 per cent expected inventories to remain stable; and 35 per cent predicted a slump in inventories in the same period.

Viet Nam recorded a trade deficit of US$1.8 billion over the last three months, accounting for 9 per cent over the total export-import turnover, according to a report recently released by the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Export turnover for the first quarter was nearly $35.7 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.9 per cent, with telephones and components, and garments and textiles being the key exported commodities.

The two groups of products generated $6.67 billion and $4.75 billion from exports, respectively.

In addition, total import turnover in the first quarter was estimated at US$37.5 billion, a year-on-year rise of 16.3 per cent. — VNS