Experts attributed the sharp increase to the RoK’s commitments in the ASEAN-RoK Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA). 

Commodities with high export growths included garment, footwear, woodwork, confectionary, seafood and coffee. 

The Vietnam General Department of Customs said garment exports to the RoK hit US$700 million by the end of October, representing a record year-on-year increase of 140 percent. 

The figure is expected to be US$800 million for the whole year, making the RoK the fourth largest importer of Vietnamese garment products, after the US, the EU and Japan. 

Seafood is also one of Vietnam’s strengths in the RoK market with an export turnover of US$345 million, up over 38 percent. The RoK is now the largest mollusk importer of Vietnam. 

Vietnam sees a bigger opportunity for fruit and vegetable exports to the RoK. In the ten-month period, it earned US$15.5 million from exporting to this market banana, pineapple, dragon fruit, sweet mango, durian and canned and dried fruits, doubling the figure of the same period last year. 

VNA