Vietnam hit a trade deficit of $124 million in the first nine months of 2013, accounting for about 0.1 percent of the total export value, according to the Vietnam General Statistics Office on Tuesday.

Specifically, the country pocketed $96.463 billion from exports during the reviewed period, a year-on-year increase of 15. 7 percent, while it spent $96.587 billion, up 15.5 percent.

Of the total export value, the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector contributed $63.9 billion (including crude oil), up 22.4 percent, while the domestic economic sector earned only $32.5 billion, up 4.4 percent.

Commodities that recorded a high export value included telephones and appliances with $15.1 billion (up 75.7 percent); garments and textiles with $13.2 billion(up 18 percent); electronic exports, computers and devices with $7.8 billion (up 45.3 percent); footwear with $6.1 billion (up 16.3 percent); and wood-based exports with $3.8 billion (up 13.8 percent).

Of the total import value, the FDI sector spent $54.5 billion, up 24.8 percent, and the domestic sector spent $42.1 billion, up 5.3 percent.

The imported commodities with high year-on-year increase value included electronic products, computers and appliances with $13 billion (up 40.5 percent); fabrics with $6.1 billion (up 19.1 percent); plastics with $4.2 billion (up 17 percent); raw materials for garment and footwear making with $2. 7 billion (up 19.6 percent); and animal feed with $2.4 billion (up 39.4 percent).

In the nine-month period, the FDI sector recorded a trade surplus of $9.45 billion, while the domestic sector hit a trade deficit of $9.57 billion, reported the statistics office.