Vietnam earned over US$1.6 billion from exporting goods to China in the first five months of this year, according to a local trade agency on Friday.

Between January and May, Vietnam exported over US$21.2 million worth of seafood, 10,788 tons of cashew nuts valued at US$54.7 million, 6,342 tons of coffee worth US$12.2 million, and 121,211 tons of rubber totaling roughly US$301 million to China, said the Trade Information Center under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Vietnam also exported over 9.3 million tons of coal valued at US$343.2 million, US$62.5 million worth of woodwork, and US$37.2 million worth of footwear to China in the five-month period.

The two-way trade between Vietnam and China rose to US$15.85 billion in 2007 from US$10.42 billion in 2006, according to Vietnam's statistics.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2008)