Export activities were bustling on the first workday following the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, on February 15, with many batches of goods departing for foreign markets such as the US, the EU, and Australia, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.

Some 15,000 tonnes of plastic beads left Long An International Port for Europe on the day, while two containers with about 18 tonnes of coffee in total, branded Meet More, went to Australia.

Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) shows that trade activities have been vibrant since the beginning of 2024, with total revenue hitting over $64 billion in January, up nearly 38 per cent year-on-year, including $33.57 billion from exports, a rise of 42 per cent.

The Vietnam News Agency quoted the MoIT as reporting that the majority of Vietnam’s export markets showed signs of recovery in January, with the US remaining its largest market, from which it earned about $9.6 billion, up 55.8 per cent year-on-year.

A strong rise was also seen in other major export markets in January, such as China, by 57.8 per cent, ASEAN 38.5 per cent, Japan 39.6 per cent, South Korea 22.4 per cent, and the EU 18 per cent.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien was quoted as saying that, in January, the country posted a trade surplus of $2.92 billion, while industrial production grew 18.3 per cent. However, he also underlined the need for strong efforts from the beginning of the year to realize the targeted 6 per cent growth in exports this year.