Vietnam is expected to spend 42-43 billion U.S. dollars importing goods this year, up from nearly 36. 9 billion dollars last year, local newspaper Vietnam Economic Times reported Wednesday

The expected hike is based on the surge in Vietnam's import turnover in the first 11 months of this year, the newspaper quoted sources from the Vietnamese Trade Ministry.

The country imported nearly 40.8 billion dollars worth of goods, including petroleum products, machines, automobiles, steel, fertilizers and medicines, in the first 11 months of this year, posting a year-on-year increase of 21.4 percent.

Vietnam, gaining export revenues of nearly 36.3 billion dollars in the first 11 months, up 23.7 percent, is predicted to gain export earnings of 39.5 billion dollars this year, up nearly 22.7 percent over last year.

Source: Xinhua