Vietnam exported 3.5 billion US dollars worth of textiles and garments in the first nine months of this year, posting a year-on-year rise of 4.3 percent.

Last month, the country shipped abroad 500 million dollars worth of the products, according to the Ministry of Industry on Friday.

To boost the products' export in the remaining months of this year, Vietnam is promoting shipment of quota-unbounded garments and textiles to the United States, expanding other traditional markets such as the European Union and Japan, and seeking new ones in Africa and East Europe.

The ministry is also urging local garment and textile enterprises to use more locally-made materials in production, diversify products and actively build and promote trademarks both at home and abroad.

Vietnam, which earned over 4.4 billion dollars from exporting garments and textiles to over 100 countries and regions last year, has targeted total garment and textile export turnovers of 5 to 5.2 billion US dollars this year.

By late 2003, Vietnam had 1,050 garment and textile enterprises with a total workforce of more than 2 million. By that time, the country's garment and textile industry had attracted nearly 400 foreign-invested projects with a total registered capital of roughly 1 billion dollars.

Source: Xinhua