import export 12av2
| First-quarter
export revenue downspending up HCMC posts 8.9% GDP growth in first quarter (SGT- 29/3/2002)- Vietnam's first quarter export earnings are down by a dramatic 12%year-on-year from US$3.6 billion to US$3.2 billion, a figure representing 19.2% of the2002 target, the General Statistics Office reports. The export prices of rice, coffee andrubber have rebounded this quarter but the prices of other export staples like cashew andpepper remain low. Meanwhile, import spending for the quarter is US$3.7 billion, up 2.5%year-on-year and equal to 21.2% of the 2002 target. *The gross domestic product of HCMC in the first quarter is estimated at VND12,654 billionbased on 1994 prices, a rise of 8.9% on 12 months ago and one point up on the 2001 rate.The construction industry has achieved the strongest growth with GDP of VND5,146 billion,up 10.6% due to construction and installation companies in the city winning many tenders.Transport companies, post offices, hotels and restaurants have also posted high growth andbrought the service sector's GDP to VND7,357 billion, up 7.8% year-on-year. On the down side, manufacturing has posted slower growth,as has the outlet-starved fisheries industry. In the latter case, the poor salesperformance is a major factor in the slow combined GDP growth seen in agriculture,forestry and fisheries, which jointly accounted for VND151 billion, up 2% year-on-year. |