Vietnam, Indonesia bilateral trade down 16 pct in first nine months

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Indonesia went down 16.5 percent year-on-year to 1.54 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of this year, according to the information center of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on Friday.

Of the total, Vietnam raked in 494.1 million U.S. dollars from export to the Indonesian market in this period, down 12 percent year-on-year, said the center.

The country spent 1.05 billion U.S. dollars on imports from Indonesia in the first nine months, down 23.4 percent from the corresponding period of last year.

Vietnamese export of rice, fruits and vegetables, rubber, and footwear to Indonesia registered a year-on-year decline in the first nine months, according to the center.

The country saw a year-on-year increase in export of crude oil, seafood, coffee, tea, and garment and textile to Indonesia during the same period.

Vietnam's export of crude oil went up 138.5 percent year-on-year to 172.67 million U.S. dollars from January to September, said the center.

The country witnessed a year-on-year increase in import of pharmaceutical products, paper and rubber from Indonesia, but a drop in import of cotton, wood and wood products, and machine and equipment in the first nine months.

Source: Xinhua