A downturn was seen in three groups of goods, while a slight rise was recorded in the remaining eight groups, reported the office, adding that the highest price rise was marked in education as the new school year is approaching. Meanwhile, transportation price fell sharpest as fuel prices was cut down two times in the month, while prices of food and catering services was also down sharply due to a plunge in price of food and foodstuff, especially rice in Hanoi through the month when supply was abundant. Decrease was spotted in prices of housing, power, water, fuel, and construction materials. In August, the gold price climbed 1.6% month on month and 19.8% compared to December last year, while the US dollar price fell slightly over the previous month and 0.7% over December 2015. 

Meanwhile, total domestic goods sales and services revenue was estimated at VND176.28 trillion, a rise of 1.5% month on month and 9.9% year on year, while total retail value was VND43.16 trillion, up 1.5% over the previous month and 7% compared to the same period last year. 

So far this year, total goods sales and services was nearly VND1.38 trillion, a rise of 9.5% year on year, with total retail sales reaching VND325.42 trillion, up 8.4%. Of the total, the State sector contributed VND395.87 billion, an increase of 6.5% over the same period last year, while the non-State sector added VND919.29 trillion, a rise of 10.8%, and the foreign-invested sector, VND65.65 trillion, up 9.8%. 

In August, Hanoi earned US$893 million from exports, increasing 0.3% month on month, but dropping 1.8% compared to the same time last year. 

Rise was seen in a number of exported goods, including machinery and spare parts, 16%, computers and peripheral devices, 2.9%, and footwear and leather products, 7.5%. 

In the first eight months of this year, the capital’s total export value was worth over US$7 billion, a drop of 1.4%.

Hanoi imported over US$2.1 billion worth of commodities in August, up 7% month on month but down 8.4% year on year. 

In the January-August period, Hanoi imported US$15.7 billion worth of goods, a decrease of 5.2% year on year. The sharp fall was seen in the import of petrol, with 27.5%, followed by fertilizer, 19.1%, and chemicals, 21.6%.