Vietnam's April trade deficit estimated at $700 mln: stats office

Vietnam likely posted a trade deficit of $700 million in April, compared with a $1.63 billion surplus in March, government data released on Monday showed.

Exports in April rose 7.5 percent from a year earlier to $19.9 billion, while imports rose 17.6 percent to $20.6 billion, the General Statistics office said in a statement.

Smartphones, garments and electronic home appliances were among the largest export earners in April.

Key imports were electronics, machinery and fabrics, the department said.

For the first four months of this year, Vietnam’s exports rose 5.8 percent to around $78.76 billion, while imports were up 10.4 percent to around $78.05 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $712 million, it said.