Industrial sector records 9.2 percent expansion in January-April

The rise was lower than the 10.7 percent increase recorded in the same period last year, but higher than the growth rates for the same period of 2016 and 2017.

The manufacturing and processing industry expanded by 10.9 percent year on year and contributed 8.3 percentage points to the overall growth.

Industrial products with high growth in the reviewed period were petrol and oil (70.3 percent), steel and crude iron (67.1 percent), television sets (42.6 percent) and liquefied gas (29.8 percent).

Among localities, the central province of Thanh Hoa led with a 42.8 percent increase in industrial production, thanks to the Nghi Son refinery which was commissioned in mid 2018. It was followed by the southern province of Tra Vinh with a 38.3 percent increase thanks to a surge in electricity output at the Duyen Hai thermal power electricity company, and the central province of Ha Tinh with a 34.9 percent.

As of April 1, the number of workers employed by industrial enterprises expanded by 1.4 percent from one month ago and 2.3 percent from one year ago.

In April alone, the industrial production index increased by 9.3 percent year on year but by just 0.6 percent compared to the previous month.