Vietnam aims to record 30 billion USD from border trade by 2020,according to a development plan approved recently by the Prime Minister.

Under the plan, the country may fetch as much as 14billion USD in export earnings, with imports valued at as much as 16billion USD.

By 2030, border trade is forecast to reach 50 billion USD. Approximately 22 billion USD will come from exports.

Anumber of selected border economic zones (EZs) will be provided withState assistance to develop in line with the nation's five-yearsocio-economic development plan.

The country is now home to 28 border EZs, which span a total area of 600,000ha.

Thesezones have experienced strong growth in the past few years, achieving atrade value of 5.44 billion USD in 2010, according to the Ministry ofPlanning and Investment.

Cross-border trade now accountsfor 15 percent, 85 percent and 75 percent of the country's totalimport-export turnover with China , Laos and Cambodia ,respectively.

Despite changes in some neighbouringcountries' border trading policies, border trade has still increasedremarkably and contributes significant amounts to the State budget, saidMinister Bui Quang Vinh.

To date, Vietnam 's border EZs have attracted 70 foreign-invested projects totally capitalised at over 700 million USD.-VNA