Vietnam first-quarter production rises 2.1%

Vietnam is estimated to have produced 12.4Mt in the first quarter of 2013, representing a rise of 2.1 per cent YoY, the latest data from the General Statistics Office (GSO) shows.

The government-run office has revised down its figures for January and February 2013 from an earlier estimate of 8.3Mt to 7.4Mt. During March alone, the country's output is likely to have fallen by two per cent YoY to 5Mt, the monthly GSO figures show. 

For this year, domestic sales are expected to rise by 5-8 per cent to 48-49Mt, taking consumption back to 2011 levels.