The export earnings of Vietnamese-assembled mobile phones to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hit $728 million in the first 7 months of this year, accounting for 67 percent of Vietnam's total export revenues to UAE.

The remaining exports items earned a total export turnover of $357 million over the same period, according to Vietnam’s trade office in the Middle East market.

In the structure of exported goods to UAE, mobile phone is the new exports items accounting for a large proportion and enjoying strong growth starting 2010 with total export revenue of $360 million in 2011, according to Ngo Khai Hoan, commercial counselor in the UAE.

As of September 15, Vietnam earned $7.977 billion from exporting mobile phones and components, fortifying its second rank in terms of total export turnover, according to the Vietnam General Department of Customs.

With a 132 percent year-on-year increase in export turnover, mobile phones and components have stepped into the group of top-ten export products of the country.

The three biggest import markets of Vietnamese-made mobile phones and components were the European Union, UAE and Russia with about 43 percent, 11 percent and 5 percent of the total value, respectively.

The contribution mainly came from foreign-invested companies, especially South Korea-invested Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV), according to the Viet Nam Electronic Industry Association (VEIA).

SEV is the biggest contributor in terms of mobile phone exports, while others, like Intel, Cannon, Compal, Foxconn made up a substantial proportion.

The Korean electronics giant last year raked in $6 billion from exporting mobile phones, and its monthly export revenues are expected to averagely hit about $1 billion this year.

In January-August, mobile handset and component exports generated $3.29 billion for Vietnam, a 300 percent year-on-year increase.

As of mid-April, mobile phones and component maintained its rank as the country’s second biggest export item in value with a 161.5 percent year-on-year rise to $3 billion.

Phones and accessories exports, previously averaged at $300-400 million per month, shot up to $1.3 billion last July, making it the second biggest export earner for the first time two months later.

However, Vietnamese electronic firms posted a small proportion in total export values, as they are mainly performing outsourcing orders for international partners from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and ASEAN members.

The annual value of mobile phone and component exports of Vietnam is forecast to hit $12 billion by the end of 2012, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.