HA NOI — Positive economic information for this year and upcoming years was reported in The Business Monitor International (BMI)’s Viet Nam Business Forecast Report issued on August 25

The Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that US$4.75 billion worth of goods were exported in July, 0.27 percent more than in June but 28.1 percent less than in July of 2008. Crude oil exports for July fell 11.5 percent from June and were down 44.8 percent from July of 2008. Crude oil prices in foreign markets fell US$440 per tonne and sales of Vietnamese crude in the first seven months of 2009 dipped US$3 billion compared to the same time in 2008.

Now is “a good time for Vietnam’s rice shipments,” as some big exporters of the grain such as Thailand and India still haven’t tapped their markets, a local official told Thanh Nien Daily Monday.

Vietnam was the only one of the top 30 exporters to the US to increase shipments to the world’s largest economy during the first four months of the year, benefiting from clothing and footwear production.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade predicted that in 2009 and 2010 Vietnam will be experiencing difficulties regarding its exports. To overcome these difficulties, the ministry says that Vietnam will increase exports and reduce the trade deficit in 2009 and 2010, mostly via the key export markets of Vietnam.