Vietnam’s Ministry of Trade has predicted that the country’s first quarter 2004 footwear exports will total $650 million and clothing exports will hit $850 million.
The ministry said it expected Vietnam’s total export turnover to increase 10.4% year-on-year to $5.2 billion while imports will total $5.6 million.
The department said it would ask the Vietnamese Government to cut quota fees on clothing exported to the EU, and slash import, export and value-added taxes on raw materials used for export production.
Vietnam’s total exports rose 8.1% to $3.3 billion in the first two months of 2004.