Vietnam’s garment and textile sector earned $18 billion from exports, an 8.61 per cent year-on-year increase. The figure included $14.02 billion of clothing and $1.02 billion of fabrics, up 8.71 per cent and 29.9 per cent respectively.

According to VITAS, the number of orders in the first half of 2019 was equivalent to 70 per cent of the figure in the same period last year. In particular, consumption of yarn and raw materials faced many difficulties because the main export market China cut import volume. Meanwhile, garment products also experienced a drop in orders.

The US remained the biggest buyer, accounting for 47 per cent of total orders. It was followed by member states of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with 17 per cent, the EU at 13 per cent and South Korea with 9 per cent.

Meanwhile the country spent US$11.4 billion to import materials for garment and textile production in the first half of the year, up 5.6 per cent from the same period last year. Cotton imports reached $1.52 billion, fibre $1.23 billion, fabric $6.75 billion and auxiliary materials $1.89 billion.