Vietnam-China border trade hits US$2.61bln in H1
(VOV) -Border trade value between the two countries jumped 13% to US$2.61 billion in the first six months of the year, according to the Vietnam-China border trade steering board.
During the period, border trade, with monthly growth averaging 4%, accounted for over 24% of the total bilateral trade turnover between the two countries and resulted in a surplus of US$800 million.
Major exports were agro-forestry and seafood products while major imports included input materials and fuels for the production of machinery and equipment, means of transport, electronic products, food, consumer products and electricity.
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Rice was the export staple grossing the highest earnings in the reviewed period. A total of 529,000 tonnes of rice worth US$198 million was exported to China. Around 97% of rice was shipped to China through the sub-border gate in northern Lao Cai province.
Nearly 96,385 tonnes of fresh litchi and over 152,600 tonnes of watermelon were exported to China via main border gate pairs, fetching US$62.2 million and US$9.1 million, respectively.
According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu, poor infrastructure, including a system of warehouses, is the biggest obstacle to border trade between Vietnam and China.