HCM City, April 4 -- Ho Chi Minh City's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) expanded 7.51% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, the fastest pace for Q1 since 2020, heard a recent meeting held by the municipal People's Committee.

Le Thi Huynh Mai, Director of the municipal Department of Finance, reported that the GRDP reached 457.617 trillion VND (over 17.7 billion USD) during the period. By sector, industry grew by 5.7% while services increased 8.72%.

Retail sales and consumer service revenue totalled 316.632 trillion VND, up 14.2% year-on-year. Export turnover stood at 11.7 billion USD, rising 5.05%, while imports went up 15% to 15.6 billion USD.

The southern economic hub's tourism earnings surged 26.7% to 56...