Abstract
The study is focusing on the analysis of
the determinants of trade balance in Vietnam. Vietnam has greatly expanded a
large volume of exports and imports in recent years whereby Vietnam has a very
high degree of trade openness. Using the sample and the secondary data covering
the period of 2005 – 2018 and collecting from General Statistics Office, the
State Bank of Vietnam, publications and other Vietnamese data with the
theoretical framework of trade balance, the study finds that foreign direct
investment had a significant and negative effect on trade balance. This result
reflects that increase in FDI may worsen trade balance. The openness of the
economy has a significant and negative effect on the trade balance. Finally,
the exchange rate has insignificantly contributed to the change of trade
balance.
Keywords: trade balance,
exports, imports, FDI, and exchange rate