Vietnam’s trade deficit in the first six months of this year could rise an estimated 19 percent from the same period in 2010 to $7.5 billion, exceeding the government target, a local newspaper reported.

The gap is equivalent to 18 percent of Vietnam’s January-June exports.

The government has projected it will keep the annual trade deficit at 16 percent of exports in 2011, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper said in an online report (vneconomy.vn).