Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s capital city ofHanoi earned an estimated 2.24 billion USD from exports in the first two monthsof this year, up 21.3 percent year-on-year, according the municipal StatisticsOffice.

Staples posting encouraging export turnover growth included machinery,equipment and parts, textiles and garments, telephones and components.

Thedomestic sector experienced a positive turnover rise of 14 percent, accountingfor 53.3 percent of the city’s total export value in two month period, theoffice said.

The two-month performance was a good signal for the city’s economy in thecontext of the country witnessing an export turnover reduction of 1.3 percentin January compared to the same month last year, Director of the municipalDepartment of Industry and Trade Le Hong Thang told kinhtedothi.vn.

However, Thang said it would not be easy for the capital to reach its target ofraising export value by between 7.5 percent and 8 percent this year.

The director attributed the situation to strong fluctuations in the globalfinancial and monetary markets and a stretched trade war between the US andChina.

In order to achieve the export target and facilitate the city’s exporters, Hanoiwould continue to help enterprises access loans, improve administrative reformsand accelerate trade promotion.

At the same time,it would help local firms diversify the design of their products, access newtechnologies, promote their brands and origin traceability in a move toincrease the added value of their products.

Thecity would also call for investment to develop infrastructure, concentratedindustrial zones, clusters, logistics infrastructure and service systems aswell as build an information database for business and export activities.

Thangalso urged local businesses to develop their own trademarks while improvingproduct quality and personnel to meet the strict demands of internationalmarkets.

Last year, Hanoi shipped 14.23 billion USD worth of goods overseas, ayear-on-year increase of 21.6 percent, the department’s statistics revealed.

The US, Japan and China remained the city’s biggest markets, with valuesaccounting for 16 percent, 13 percent and 12 percent, respectively.-VNA