This is a rise of 19.26% over same period last year, with imports in March alone worth $415.46mn.

Chief among the fabric suppliers is China, accounting for 37.6% of total imports at $376.1mn. Other major suppliers include Korea ($227mn) and Taiwan ($179.4mn).

Imports of fiber and yarn also saw strong growth during the period to $235.7, while cotton imports were $148.1mn.

Vietnam is one of the world's leading garment exporters and the country's largest export earner, but there are fears its development is not sustainable because it relies so heavily on imported materials, especially fabric.