The volume of goods exported to ASEAN in 2012 reached US$17.08 billion in 2012, up by 25.7 percent from 2011, and accounting for 14.9 percent of the country’s total export earnings.
The major earners were computers and electronic products ($844 million), mobile phones and components ($750 million), rubber ($339 million), steel ($243 million), and coffee ($224 million).
Singapore remained Vietnam’s largest trading partner at $9.03 billion, followed by Thailand at $8.41 billion, Malaysia at $7.91 billion, Indonesia at $4.61 billion, Cambodia at $3.32 billion, Philippines at $2.84 billion, Laos at $866 million, Brunei at $627 million, Myanmar at $227 million.
Vietnam’s largest importer is Malaysia, followed by Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s trade surplus to the Americas in 2012 hit $15.3 billion, a growth of 15 percent from the previous year.
Customs records showed that two-way trade between Vietnam and American market reached $31.3 billion, of which Vietnam exports accounted for $23.3 billion.
The strong performance is mainly due to the sharp increase in export revenue from several major markets, such as the US ($19.5 billion, up 16 percent), Canada ($1.14 billion, up 18 percent), Brazil ($710 million, up 19 percent) and Mexico ($658 million, up 16 percent).
Its key export items include garments ($8 billion, up 9 percent), footwear ($3 billion, up 17 percent), timber ($1.88 billion, up 29 percent), seafood ($1.56 billion, up 4 percent), machinery and equipment ($1.08 billion, up 57 percent) and computer and electronic devices ($1.05 billion, up 50 percent).
