In which, the state owned economy earned $25 billion, slumping 19 percent and foreign invested economy reached $16.7 billion, down 6.3 percent from 2008.

Statistics showed that till late August 2009, Vietnam's export turnover to Europe brought in $9.1 billion, a y-o-y growth of 9.4 percent, in which that to EU countries accounted for only $6.14 billion, declining 14.6 percent and that to the countries outside EU was $2.96 billion, jumping 163 percent.

Also, the export to Africa also soared 12 percent against the previous year to $750 million, while that to America, Asia, and Asean all decreased.

Addressing the conference "Export promotion" held yesterday in Hanoi, Do Xuan Ha, vice head of Ministry of Industry and Trade's Trade Promotion Department said that in the remaining three months of this year, authorities need to guide enterprises to take advantages from Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) that took effect from October 1, 2009.

Currently, 22 European countries including Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, Switzerland, Ukraine and Vatican have not yet joined EU.

Thoi Bao Kinh Te Vietnam - October 13, 2009