Vietnam’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose 5.7 per cent year-on-year in the first two months of the year, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported on February 29.

The IIP in February, however, was down 6.8 per cent year-on-year.

Sectors posting IIP growth in the two-month period were chemicals and chemical products with 27.7 per cent, rubber and plastic products with 24.3 per cent, furniture with 23.4 per cent, textiles with 17.6 per cent, and food processing with 5.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, the IIP of other sectors was down, including crude oil and natural gas exploitation, by 9.4 per cent, beverage production by 6.6 per cent, and the production of electronic products, computers, and optical products by 2.6 per cent.

In terms of localities, the GSO said 56 of Vietnam’s 63 cities and provinces saw year-on-year growth in their IIP, while seven posted declines.