Vietnam spent 273.52 million U.S. dollars on import from the United States in January this year, up 153.7 percent year-on-year, said the information center of Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade on Tuesday.

Machines, components and spare parts topped the Vietnams import items from the U.S market in the first month of 2010. Vietnams import turnover of this commodity reached roughly 60 million U.S. dollars, a surge of 126.47 percent over the same period last year.

Animal feed ranked second with import value of 27 million U.S. dollars during this period, followed by animal fats and vegetable oils with turnover standing at 20.7 million U.S. dollars, said the center.

Vietnam saw a year-on-year increase in turnover of most import items from the United States last January including cotton, wood products, plastic materials, milk products, pharmaceuticals and steel.

However, Vietnamese importers reduced their spending on purchasing such U.S. products as automobiles, electronic wires and cables, seafood and wheat during this period, said the center.

Last year, Vietnam paid 2.8 billion U.S. dollars for buying goods from the United States, up 9.1 percent year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.