With a total revenue of over US $39.5 billion, a year-on-year rise of 22% and making up over 60% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), exports is a bright spot in the country's economy picture in 2006.

2006 has seen many records set by key export staples despite market fluctuations and trade barriers.

Excluding crude oil, garments and textiles have maintained their leading position with export value reaching around US $5.9 billion, a year-on-year rise of 22% and accounting for 14.9% of the country's total export earnings.

Although being subjected to anti-dumping tax in several markets and for seafood, strict inspection of food hygienic safety, earnings from footwear and seafood surpassed US $3 billion by the end of November. Both sectors set record turnover this year with US $3.5 billion for footwear and US $3.4 billion for seafood products.

Also in 2006, the "US $1 billion earners' club" admitted two new members: coffee and rubber. Thanks to unexpected increase in prices, rubber attained an export value of over US $1.3 billion, up 64% over 2005. The club now has nine members: seafood, rubber, rice, crude oil, garments and textiles, footwear, electronic products and computer components, wood products and coffee.

Great leaps in the export of previously insignificant products such as transformers and cassava have lent more substance to the policy to gear up for export products of great potential in terms of both production capacity and market.

The success of export in 2006 could be attributable to effective supportive policies. The Government has put in place an import-export mechanism in conformity with the World Trade Organisation's regulations. It also issued a decree on international commodities trading activities and other activities of sales and processing agents, creating a stable management of import export activities and enabling enterprises devise their export strategies. In particular, the promulgation of the first ever decree on the origin of goods has helped Vietnam's import and export goods enjoy preferential taxations under international agreements to which the country is a member.

2006 has also the first year of the country implemented a reformed national trade promotion programme. The Government's decision to organise Vietnam Days abroad annually has proved effective in promoting Vietnam's image, land, people and its products in other countries.

To maintain the momentum for export activities in 2007, the first year when Vietnam joins the WTO, the trade ministry plans to focus on dealing with issues relating to the implementation of the country's WTO commitments, strictly monitoring the granting of the certificate of origin to export garments and textiles and taking a flexible attitude in managing rice export.