Vietnam's trade balance ended the first six months with a surplus of nearly US$1.7 billion as imports dropped slightly, according to new customs' data. Exports rose 5.7 percent year-on-year to over $82.13 billion in the period, while imports fell 0.8 percent to over $80.43 billion, the Vietnam Customs reported. According to the customs office, foreign-invested businesses recorded a surplus of nearly $10.25 billion in January-June. Shipments of phones and spare parts earned the most with more than $16.94 billion, up 16 percent from the same period last year. Garment exports grew 5.6 percent to $10.84 billion.

Source: Thanhnien News July 18, 2016 08:37 UTC