Source: VietnamNews / Photo: VNA/VNS

The industrial production and trade of Hà Nội has been on a recovery trend from the beginning of the year, driven by the capital city’s policies of reopening business activities after months of closing down to fight the pandemic.

The capital city’s index of industrial production was estimated to increase by 4.6 percent in the first two months of this year.

Specifically, the manufacturing and processing industry rose by 4.8 percent, power production and distribution by 1.8 percent, and water supply and waste treatment by 4.3 percent.

Industries that saw significant increases included paper production by 49.7 percent, wood processing and wood products by 20.7 percent, electronic products and computers by 11.9 percent, rubber and plastic products by 11.1 percent.

The capital city witnessed a rise of 30.9 percent in export to reach a value of more than US$2.6 billion in January – February, of which the domestic sector’s export value was estimated at $1.4 billion, up by 33.9 percent while the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector saw an increase of 27.7 percent in export value.

The total retail sale of goods and services was estimated at VNĐ109 trillion ($4.77 billion) in the first two months of this year, representing a rise of 9.9 percent against the same period last year.

According to the municipal Statistics Department, as Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays fell in early February, trade activities slightly dropped against the previous month but were more robust over the same period last year.

The capital city also reopened several business activities, including tourism, restaurants and hotels, which helped drive the recovery of trade and services.

After the Tết holiday, industrial production companies in the city did not face a serious shortage of workers, with the number of employees working at the companies as of the end of February 1.2 percent higher than the previous month and 0.3 percent higher than the same period last year.

Businesses were gearing up to reach their targets with a determination to capture opportunities arising from the economic recovery.