Vietnam has a trade deficit of more than 2 billion USD with ASEAN countries.

While the country had a trade surplus of 13 million USD in the first 9 months of the year, in trade relations with other ASEAN members, Vietnam had a trade deficit of 2.13 billion USD, accounting for 15.5% of total export turnover to these markets.

According to preliminary statistics from the General Department of Customs, in September 2013, Vietnamese enterprises exported goods worth nearly 1.53 billion USD to markets of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This figure decreased by 4.3% compared to August.

Thus, in the first 9 months of 2013, Vietnam exported goods to ASEAN member countries reaching 13.72 billion USD, an increase of 11.1% over the same period in 2012.

On the other hand, in September, the country imported 1.8 billion USD worth of goods originating from ASEAN countries. Thereby, the total import value of goods originating from ASEAN from the beginning of the year to the end of September reached 15.85 billion USD, a slight increase of 2.6% compared to the results of the same period a year ago.

Thus, with the results of goods export and import in the first 9 months of the year, the trade balance of goods between Vietnam and ASEAN member countries was in a deficit (trade deficit) of 2.13 billion USD, accounting for 15.5% of Vietnam's total export turnover to ASEAN.

Total export and import turnover of goods between Vietnam and ASEAN members reached 29.57 billion USD, accounting for 15.4% of total import and export turnover of the whole country in the first 9 months of 2013.

Customs data also shows that Malaysia was Vietnam's largest trade partner in the first three quarters of 2013. The next trade partners in ASEAN are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Brunei and finally Myanmar.According to Dan Tri-PH