According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, sharp declines have been seen in a number of key export items, such as phones and parts, down 16.9 percent, and machinery, tools and components, down 14.5 percent.
Meanwhile, imports rose 1.9 percent to 9.2 billion USD during the period.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to global supply chains, considerably affecting Vietnam’s import and export import activities, the ministry said.
Foreign trade will bounce back in the second half of 2020 if the disease is brought under control by the end of the second quarter, it added./.
