HANOI, May 24 (AFP) - Vietnam's trade deficit has narrowed 71.5 percent to 289 million dollars in the year so far due to a sharp fall in imports, according to preliminary data released Monday. Imports plunged 13 percent to 4.295 billion dollars due to quantitative restrictions and a downturn in foreign investment disbursments and softer domestic demand, according to the General Department of Statistics. Exports inched up 2.1 percent to 4.006 billion dollars, thanks to a recovery in the shipments of textiles and shoes. Combined, the two top export sectors accounted for 26.6 percent of export revenues. Textile and garment exports grew 10.5 percent to 539 million dollars while footwear exports increased 24.1 percent to 526 million dollars. Volume exports of oil, the number three export earner, rose 32.3 percent to 6.029 million tonnes, although this was barely enough to offset the plunge in worldwide oil prices. No dollar figures were made available. Exports of rice, Vietnam's top agricultural export earner and fourth most important export, dropped 21.7 percent in volume terms to 1.939 million tonnes in the year to date. No dollar figures for rice earnings were available. Economists noted the improvement in the trade balance was illusory as it came mainly due to import quotas or outright bans on imports of some types of steel and cement clinker. Vietnam relies heavily on non-tariff barriers to control imports, saying such protection is necessary to allow domestic industry to develop. Cement clinker registered a 33.1 percent decline in imports to 245 million dollars. The export of seaproducts rose 3.8 percent to 301 million dollars. Pepper, Vietnam's fourth largest agricultural export, saw a 120 percent surge in earnings to 66 million dollars. Coffee exports grew 4.6 percent to 182,000 tonnes, as local growers hoarded beans in anticipation of higher prices. Coal exports fell 0.1 percent to 1.218 million tonnes. Fertilizer imports rose 19.1 percent to 1.556 billion dollars, despite a partial ban on imports. Machine and equipment imports fell 8.1 percent to 742 million dollars, largely because of a slowdown in foreign investment related imports. Two-way trade shrank 6.3 percent to 8.860 billion dollars.  