Hanoi, Oct. 7 -- Despite a sharp increase in the trade deficit in the first nine months of 2026, trade developments in the final months of the year, together with the target of raising exports by 15-16%, provide grounds for optimism that the trade balance will continue to improve, Deputy Director of the Agency for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Trinh Thi Thu Hien said at a ministry press conference on October 7. Explaining the rise in imports, Hien said a notable factor was the increased import value of electronics, computers, components and equipment. Higher global raw material prices, particularly inputs for electronics and semiconductor production, have pushed up import values, with prices of some chips and soli...