Hanoi, Aug. 3 -- Vietnam's total import-export turnover reached 659.58 billion USD in the first seven months of 2026, up 28.1% year-on-year. However, imports outpaced exports, resulting in a trade deficit of 20.52 billion USD, largely driven by stronger demand for imported raw materials, machinery and production inputs. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance, merchandise exports totalled 319.53 billion USD between January and July, an increase of 21.7% compared with the same period last year. The domestic economic sector contributed 63.64 billion USD, up 5.8%, accounting for 19.9% of total exports, while the foreign-invested sector (including crude oil) generated 255.89 billion USD, up 26.4%, repre...