Two-way trade between Vietnam and France reached EUR3.5 billion in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 6%, according to France Customs statistics.
Of the total, Vietnamese exports fetched EUR2.79 billion, rising 4%, and its imports were valued at EUR704 million, up 14.7%.
Major Vietnamese export items included electronic appliances (EUR956 million), garments (EUR323 million), footwear (EUR484 million), coffee and pepper (EUR86.2 million) and seafood (EUR76.9 million).
Notably, export earnings of pharmaceutical ingredient tripled last year to EUR142,000 from just EUR36,000 a year earlier.
Handicrafts exports generated only EUR5.9 million in value, but made up more than 10% of France’s market share.
Pharmaceuticals topped the list of Vietnamese import items from France, valued at EUR142.6 million, up 2% compared to 2012. They were followed by mechanical products (EUR49 million, down 18%), machinery and electronic appliances (EUR49.7 million, down 15%).
Aviation equipment, mostly planes and satellite devices, are one of the main French exports to Vietnam. In 2013, their export value rose sharply to EUR106.6 million compared to just EUR6 million in 2012.
(Source VOV)