Vietnam earned over 280 million U.S. dollars from exporting computers and electronics appliances in the first two months of this year, up 21.7 6 percent over the same period last year.

Many of the products were exported to Thailand, Japan, the United States and the Philippines, according to the Vietnam Electronic Industries Association on Friday.

To gain bigger export revenues and maintain domestic market shares under pressure of regional tariff reduction roadmaps, electronics producers in Vietnam, many of them are making electronics appliances under outsourcing contracts with foreign firms, should increase the added value in their products, which currently stands at only 10-15 percent, said the association's general secretary Tran Quang Hung.

The producers should either design their own product models, instead of relying on models supplied by the foreign firms, or strengthen production of components and spare parts for export, he said, noting that foreign-invested enterprises in Vietnam are doing that very well.

Vietnam gained nearly 1.8 billion dollars from exporting computers and electronics appliances in 2006, up 24 percent over 2005, said the association.

Source: Xinhua