Vietnam July trade surplus widens to $2.8 billion - customs

HANOI -- Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of $2.8 billion in July, widening from a surplus of $1.85 billion in June, government customs data released on Wednesday showed.

Exports in July rose 10.2% from June to $24.87 billion, while imports were up 6.7% to $22.10 billion, the Customs Department said in a statement.

For the first seven months of this year, Vietnam's exports rose 1.5% from a year earlier to $147.61 billion, while imports fell 3.0% to $139.21 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $8.4 billion.

Vietnam exported 479,633 tonnes of rice in July, up 6.5% from June, according to the latest customs data.

Vietnam exported 4 million tonnes of rice in January-August, up 0.6%, the Customs Department said in a statement.

Rice export revenue in the January-July period rose 13.1% from a year earlier to $1.95 billion, it added.