Vietnam earned 6.84 billion USD from garment and textile exports in the first quarter of this year, a rise of 11.2 percent year on year, according to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS).

Currently, Vietnamese garment and textile products have been available in 40 countries and territories over the world, with major markets including the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China and the EU.

Most businesses have had orders for the second quarter this year. However, orders have been in shorter and shorter terms with price not increasing. The VITAS urged enterprises to optimize the capacity of their equipment to reduce production costs and seek orders for high-quality products.

This year, the garment and textile industry has set a target of reaching a growth rate of 6.5-7 percent compared to 2016 with the total export earning of over US$30 billion.