Containers are loaded onto ships at Vung Ang Port in the central province of Ha Tinh. The country earned $96.46 billion from exports, up 15.7 per cent against the same period last year. — VNA/VNS Photo Ha Thai

HA NOI (Biz Hub)— The country is estimated to run a trade deficit of US$300 million in September, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Including the September estimate, the country ran a trade deficit of $124 million in the first nine months. In detail, it earned $96.46 billion from exports, up 15.7 per cent against the same period last year, while spending $96.59 billion for imports, up 15.5 per cent.

The office reported that 15 staples gained more than $1 billion in export value. Mobile and components rose $15.14 billion, garments and textiles went up $13.15 billion, electronics, computers and components increased $7.77 billion and seafood went up $4.7 billion.

The major import products were components, equipment and petrol for production.

The General Department of Customs has not yet released the first nine months' import-export figures, which will likely differ from the GSO's. Last month, the GSO estimated that the country ran a trade deficit of $300 million, but customs figures showed that the country actually had a trade surplus of $600 million.

The Customs department has only reported the import-export value for the first half of September. According to the department, the country ran a trade deficit of $374 million on monthly export earnings of $4.92 billion and imports spending of $5.32 billion.

Ha Noi trade deficit

The capital city was estimated to run a trade deficit of $1.16 billion in September, according to the municipal statistics office.

The capital exported $801 million worth of goods this month, decreasing 1.2 per cent month-on-month. It spent $1.96 billion to import goods, an increase of 2.8 per cent.

In the first nine months, the capital reaped $7.405 billion from exports, down 1.5 per cent from the same period last year. It imported $17.230 billion worth of goods, down 3.5 per cent year-on-year, resulting in a trade deficit of $9.825 billion.

The capital's export staples in the first nine months of the year were computer components and peripherals, which earned $1.407 billion, down 1.5 per cent year-on-year; garments and textiles with $895 million, up 14.3 per cent; agricultural products with $789 million, down 4.7 per cent and petroleum with $661 million, down 36.9 per cent.

The city mainly imported petroleum for $4.229 billion, down 17.9 per year-on-year; equipment, machinery, tools and spare parts for $3.842 billion, down 1.3 per cent and steel for $894 million, up 14.2 per cent. — VNS