Vietnam is estimated to earn 8.3 billion U.S. dollars from exporting goods to the European Union ( EU) this year, up from 6.8 billion U.S. dollars last year, according to a local trade agency on Wednesday.

In 2007, Vietnam's seafood exports to the EU is likely to surge 49 percent to 1.5 billion U.S. dollars, coffee up 30 percent to 621.4 million dollars, woodwork up 6 percent to 509 million dollars, electronics goods up 40 percent to 385.2 million dollars, rubber up 50 percent to 233.2 million dollars, plastic products up 59 percent to 164.3 million dollars, and handicrafts up 6 percent to 192 million dollars, said the Europe Department under the Trade Ministry.

Local exports to the EU which will post high growth in the coming years include seafood, woodwork, garments, textiles, rubber products, mechanical goods, electrical home appliances, information technology items and toys, the department predicted.

Vietnam made total export revenues of 39.6 billion dollars in 2006. In the year, the United States remained Vietnam's biggest export market, followed by the EU, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan and China.