Reuters reported on August 23, 2007 that the value of Vietnam's exports is expected to increase 19.3 percent to $31.2 billion in the first eight months of this year, while imports during the same period would rise nearly 30
 percent to $37.63 billion, according to Vietnam's Trade Ministry.
The total value of exports in August are estimated at US$4.4 billion, an increase of 3.7 percent compared with the last month.
During this period, coffee exports are anticipated to rise 47.3 percent from a year earlier to 940,000 tons, while coal exports are estimated to be about 21 million tons, up 18.8 percent year-on-year.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is forecasting the value of exports for the whole year to total more than $48 billion, while import numbers are expected to be total more than $57 billion.
Vietnam's major exports include crude oil, textiles, footwear, fish and shrimp and furniture. They are also the world's top exporter of black pepper and cashew nuts and ranks second in sales of coffee and rice.

Trade between Vietnam and Canada soar
The strategic alliance between Canada and Vietnam has improved  tremendously and two-way trade between the two countries reached US$442 million in the first half of this year alone. Asia Pulse reported that Vietnam's exports  to  Canada during this period reached over $315 million representing a
 year-on-year increase of 26 percernt.
The primary exports from Vietnam to Canada include footwear, clothing, seafood, cashew, coffee and houseware. Imports into Vietnam from Canada include fertilizers, leather, medicines, machinery, wood and chemicals.
Vietnam is Canada's 10th biggest supplier of coconut products and cashew  nuts  in the first half of this year - total export value amounted to US$8.32  million. Pepper exports amounted to US$1.23 million and this puts Vietnam  in third place for supplying the product to Canada.