PhD Doctor Le Quoc Phuong, former deputy director for the Information Centre for Industry and Trade, under the Ministry of Trade, talks on key requirements in trade development in mountainous areas and islands.

Vietnam achieved a trade surplus of $6.5 billion in the first seven months of this year, including $1 billion in July, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The trade surplus soared in the first six months, though the GDP rate grew by only 0.36 percent in Q2 as Covid-19 escalated in many countries.

Vietnam’s exports to key markets such as the US and EU sharply rebounded across many sectors.

Vietnam's production and export activities as well as trade balance may suffer if Japan and South Korea can't settle their differences soon, according to VDSC report.

External challenges, such as protectionism and the escalating trade war between the United States and China, have left negative impacts on Vietnam’s exports, according to officials speaking at a meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday.

Vietnam gained a trade surplus of $1.59 billion in the first half of this year, according to the latest statistics from the General Department of Customs.