HCMC – HCMC saw its industrial production, purchasing power and exports rebound steadily in the first quarter of 2021 thanks to the effective containment of Covid-19, said Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, director of the Finance and General Planning Division under the HCMC Department of Industry and Trade, at a meeting on April 1.

The city’s index of industrial production (IIP) in March soared 29.4% month-on-month and inched up 2.2% year-on-year. IIP in the first quarter picked up 3.8% compared with the same period last year.

The industries with the strongest growth included electronics, which went up 24.7%, food and beverages, up 14.5% and mechanical equipment, up 1.8%.

The total retail sales of goods and services in March reached more than VND90.7 trillion (US$3.95 billion), increasing 3.26% month-on-month and 19.6% year-on-year.

The total retail sales in the first three months of the year amounted to some VND279 trillion, rising 6.2% compared with the same period last year.

The retail sales of goods alone were estimated at VND156.5 trillion, increasing 12% year-on-year.

The retail sales of most key products recovered in the first quarter, such as food (up 10.9%), textiles and garments (up 12.2%), household appliances (up 7.9%) and automobiles (up 11.5%).

Businesses in the city exported goods worth US$10.73 billion from January to March, increasing 2.2% year-on-year, while importing goods worth US$13.63 billion, rising 17.7% year-on-year.

Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the HCMC Department of Industry and Trade, said businesses in the city have adjusted their strategies and operations to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.