Vietnam News Today (Sep. 30): Foreign Arrivals Record Massive Surge Over Nine Months

Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Vietnam enjoys trade surplus of US$6.52 bln in Jan-Sep

Vietnam estimates a trade surplus of US$6.52 billion in the first nine months of this year.

In the same period last year, the country posted a trade deficit of US$3.44 billion.

The General Statistics Office announced on September 29 that in the period, the country’s import-export value hit US$558.5 billion, up 15.1% year-on-year. Of the total, the export turnover topped US$282 billion, while imports reached US$276 billion, up 17.3% and 13% year-on-year, respectively.

In the reviewed period, 32 commodities reported their export value of more than US$1 billion each, with that of six surpassing the US$10 billion mark.

Meanwhile, 42 commodities saw their import value of over US$1 billion, with four surpassing the 10-billion-USD mark.

During January-September, the US remained Vietnam’s biggest importer, with a turnover of US$86.3 billion, while China was the country’s largest exporter, selling US$91.6 billion worth of products.

In the period, Vietnam saw a trade surplus of US$24.3 billion with the European Union, and a trade deficit of US$51.5 billion with China, up 48.2% and 21.3% y-o-y, respectively.

In September alone, the country’s total import-export value is estimated at US$58.7 billion, down 11% m-o-m, but up 8.4% y-o-y, cited VNA.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said that in the remaining months of this year, his ministry will focus on supporting businesses in finding alternative sources of raw materials with reasonable prices to ensure a sufficient supply of fuel and materials to prepare for the year-end shopping season; and help them make good use of signed free trade agreements (FTAs) to speed up production and export.

Attention will be paid to creating more favourable conditions for enterprises to conduct administrative procedures, he added.

Foreign arrivals record massive surge over nine months

The number of international tourists visiting Vietnam during the first nine months of the year increased 16.4 times compared to the same period from 2021, reaching 1.87 million, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Despite this huge increase, the nine-month number of arrivals is still short of the pre-pandemic figure in 2019.

Photo: vietnaminsider

Visitors arriving by air stood at approximately 1.7 million, accounting for 88.6% of the total and 22 times that compared to the same period from last year.

In contrast, the number of travelers via road routes saw a 5.5 fold increase to 212,500, making up 11.3% of the total.

Statistics highlight that the revenue from accommodation and catering services was roughly VND431 trillion in the first nine months of the year, surging by 54.7% year on year, according to VOV.

Meanwhile, the travel service revenue in the reviewed period was more than VND18 trillion, an increase of 3.9 times against the same period from 2021 thanks to the strong recovery of tourism activities.

September alone witnessed Vietnam welcome 431,900 foreign arrivals, a decline of 11.2% compared to August, but 45.4 times higher than that of the corresponding period last year.

Vietnam has set the goal of welcoming five million international tourists this year. In the context of sharp competition in the global tourism market in the post-pandemic period, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has developed a long-term strategy, with a primary focus on diversifying and improving service quality and increasing the competitiveness of the tourism industry in each locality, as well as in the whole country in general.

978 new Covid-19 cases recorded on September 29

The national Covid-19 caseload rose to 11,477,886 with 978 new cases recorded on September 29, according to the Ministry of Health.

A man is vaccinated against Covid-19. Photo: NDO

With 1,100 patients given the all clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,590,917. Meanwhile, there are 106 patients needing breathing support.

One death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities rose to 43,148, reported VNA.

On September 28, an additional 48,759 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected to 260,065,575.

Vietnam, Cuba sign three cooperation documents

Vietnam and Cuba signed three cooperation documents in Hanoi on September 29 during Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marreto Cruz’s ongoing visit to Vietnam.

Among them were a plan to implement the Vietnam – Cuba economic agenda for 2023-2025 between the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, and a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture.

Vietnam and Cuba sign a plan to implement the 2023-2025 economic agenda between the two countries, in Hanoi on September 29. Photo: VOV

The Ministries of Health of Vietnam and Cuba also signed an action plan on health cooperation on this occasion, cited VOV.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marreto Cruz.

PM Marrero arrived in Hanoi on September 28 evening for a five-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of PM Chinh.

UKVFTA gives boost to Vietnam’s coffee exports to UK

The Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) has substantially assisted Vietnam’s coffee sector to expand its market share in the UK, according to the Foreign Trade Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Under the UKVFTA, import duties will be eliminated for 99.2% of the tariff lines, equivalent to 99.7% of Vietnam’s export revenue, after six years since the deal took effect.

Vietnam exports 34,680 tonnes of coffee worth 70.68 million USD to the UK in the first eight months of 2022. Photo: VNA

Therefore, businesses should quickly move to seize opportunities brought about by the agreement, which officially came into force on May 1, 2021, the agency recommended.

Experts said to increase Vietnamese goods’ presence in the UK, businesses should align production with British quality standards, grasp export procedures, and continue improving product quality by upgrading preservation and transportation technology, especially for farm produce, VNA reported.

Firms were also suggested to pay more attention to registering and protecting brands in the UK while proactively seeking partnerships with major distributors in the market.

Vietnam shipped 34,680 tonnes of coffee worth US$70.68 million to the UK in the first eight months of 2022, up 57.9% in volume and 84.2% in value from a year earlier. Export prices also rose 16.6% to US$2,038 per tonne, according to the MoIT.

The share of Vietnamese coffee in the UK’s total imports surged to 29.92% in the first half of 2022 from 16.33% in the same period last year.

Vietnam News Today (Sep. 27): Typhoon Noru to Affect Vietnam’s Mainland on Late September 27 Vietnam News Today (Sep. 27): Typhoon Noru to affect Vietnam’s mainland on late September 27; Vietnam highlighted as economic, trade, and labor partner of Japan; ...

Vietnam News Today (Sep. 28): Noru Heads Toward Central Vietnam, Rain Starts to Fall Vietnam News Today (Sep. 28): 1,585 new Covid-19 cases logged on September 27; Noru heads toward central Vietnam, rain starts to fall; Vietnam always a ...

Vietnam News Today (Sep. 29): Vietnam, Cuba to Enhance Trade, Investment Ties Vietnam News Today (Sep. 29): Vietnam, Cuba to enhance trade, investment ties; Customs clearance at Quang Ninh border gate again suspended; Vietnam Airlines restores operations ...