MEPs gave their consent to the free trade agreement by 401 votes, 192 votes against and 40 abstentions. The “most modern, comprehensive and ambitious agreement ever concluded between the EU and a developing country” will contribute to setting high standards in the region, and could lead to a future region-to-region trade and investment agreement, said the Parliament, in an accompanying resolution adopted by 416 votes for, 187 against and 44 abstentions. The agreement is “a strong signal in favour of free, fair and reciprocal trade, in times of growing protectionist tendencies and serious challenges to multilateral rules-based trade”, MEPs stressed.
Almost all customs duties gone
The agreement will remove virtually all customs duties between the two parties over the next ten years, including on Europe’s main export products to Vietnam: machinery, cars, and chemicals. It extends to services such as banking, maritime transport and postal, where EU companies will have better access. Companies will also be able to bid on public tenders put out by the Vietnamese government and several cities, including Hanoi. The deal also safeguards 169 emblematic European products.
In addition, the agreement is an instrument to protect the environment and to sustain social progress in Vietnam, including labour rights. It commits Vietnam to apply the Paris Agreement. Vietnam committed to ratify two bills as requested by Parliament, one on the abolition of forced labour, the other on freedom of association, by 2020 and 2023, respectively.
Vietnam is the EU's second largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after Singapore, with trade in goods worth €47.6 billion a year and €3.6 billion when it comes to services. EU exports to the country grow by 5-7 percent annually, yet the EU’s trade deficit with Vietnam was €27 billion in 2018.
The main EU imports from Vietnam include telecommunications equipment, clothing and food products. The EU mainly exports goods such as machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and agricultural products to Vietnam.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports reached USD 49 million, up 151% compared to the same period in 2025. This impressive growth reflects positive momentum in the tilapia sector, with Brazil emerging as a key driver of growth, while frozen tilapia fillets continued to be the industry's leading export product.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK have shown positive signs in the first months of 2026. While the UK’s overall tuna imports from the world declined, imports from Vietnam increased strongly, indicating that there is still room for Vietnam to expand its market share. However, behind this growth, competitive pressure remains intense, especially as the UK continues to be a major market for established suppliers such as Ecuador, Mauritius, and Ghana.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Biofloc technology is being piloted in several rice–shrimp farming models in Ca Mau Province, showing initial positive results in controlling pond environments, improving shrimp seed quality, and supporting sustainable aquaculture development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia together contributed USD 108 million to Vietnam’s pangasius exports, accounting for around 15% of the industry’s total export turnover. Amid tightening global whitefish supply and slowing demand in several traditional markets, Latin America is increasingly becoming an important expansion destination for the sector.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Alongside the development of high-tech shrimp farming, Ha Tinh Province is accelerating the cultivation of high-value freshwater aquatic species, with red tilapia emerging as an effective and sustainable farming model.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports reached USD 81 million in April 2026, down 6% compared to the same period in 2025. In the first four months of the year, export turnover totaled USD 289 million, down 4.8%. Although the overall export picture has yet to brighten significantly, market trends are becoming increasingly diversified rather than moving in a single direction.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is undergoing strong restructuring starting from the broodstock and fingerling segment in order to improve productivity, quality, and export competitiveness. This is considered a critical foundation for the sustainable development of the industry amid rising production costs and increasingly stringent market requirements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Vietnam Customs data, pangasius exports in April 2026 reached USD 206 million, up 18% compared to the same period in 2025 — marking another consecutive month of double-digit growth since the beginning of the year. Cumulative pangasius export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 720 million, up 17% year-on-year, reflecting the positive growth momentum of this key export product.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the first four months of 2026 maintained positive growth momentum, reaching approximately USD 1.5 billion, up 15% compared to the same period last year. However, behind this result lies diverging trends across markets, as the global shrimp industry continues to face pressure from inflation, high inventories, price competition, and increasing trade risks.
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