The EU continued to be the most important market for many key exports of Viet Nam, said Jean-Jacques Bouflet, Minister-Counsellor and head of the Trade and Economic section of the EU delegation to Viet Nam.
Vietnamese exports to the EU currently enjoy the EU's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which provides developing countries preferential access to the EU market through reduced tariffs. However, preferential tariffs under GSP are unstable since GSP is subject to revision every three years, according to Bouflet.
"It is high time for Viet Nam to find a more predictable and stable legal framework for bilateral commercial trade, as the country has achieved a certain level of strong competitiveness in overseas market," he added.
"An FTA is definitely an answer for this as it is a preferential access arrangement for Vietnamese products contractually guaranteed by treaty," he said.
It would enable Vietnamese firms to enjoy lower export duties than that offered by GSP when exporting to the EU because, under the FTA, tariffs on most Vietnamese products exported to the EU would gradually drop to zero, he said.
The bilateral FTA would also have a wider impact, including an increase in the flow of quality investment from Europe, acceleration of shared expertise and transfer of advanced green technology, and the creation of more jobs and better incomes for the Vietnamese people.
The two sides had completed seven rounds of negotiation for the bilateral FTA, and the next round would take place next month, Bouflet said.
He added that the EU and Vietnamese negotiators had targeted the conclusion of the FTA by October.
However, to be able to enjoy the many benefits of the FTA, local companies needed to be aware of technical barriers to trade imposed by the EU and increase investment to improve product quality, delegates said.
The EU had many trade regulations to protect human health and safety, animal and plant life and health and the environment, Frank Juettner, general director of TUV Rheinland Viet Nam, said.
They include REACH, the European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use, FLEGT or Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade aiming to reduce illegal logging, and IUU, the regulation against illegal fishing.
Vietnamese firms should spend time studying the EU requirements and adjust their products and production processes to comply with such requirements, he said, adding that they should not sacrifice innovation for efficiency.
In addition, companies were urged to conduct research to understand European consumers' tastes and demands.
Le Ky Anh, an expert with the EU delegation to Viet Nam, said the Export Helpdesk website for businesses on how to export to the EU would provide essential information for Vietnamese exporters, including information on EU tariffs, import requirements and preferential arrangements.
Speaking at the forum, Dang Hoang Hai, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's European Market Department, advised Vietnamese firms to work directly with and export their products to EU supermarkets.
Once their products can enter EU supermarket chains, they can enter other distribution channels there, he said.
Vo Tan Thanh, director of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in HCM City, said the EU had surpassed the US in 2012 to become Viet Nam's largest export market and the second largest trading partner of Viet Nam.
Last year, Viet Nam-EU bilateral trade reached US$33.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent, of which Viet Nam's exports accounted for $24.4 billion.
The EU is one of the biggest investors in Viet Nam, with 1,401 investment projects with total registered capital of $18.02 billion in various sectors, including industry, construction and services, he said.
Viet Nam mainly exports apparel, footwear, coffee, furniture and seafood to the EU, while the EU exports machinery, medicine, aircraft, equipment and vehicles.
The "Viet Nam-EU FTA: Opportunities and Challenges for the Business Community" forum was co-organised by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in HCM City and the delegation of the European Commission to Viet Nam.
Debuting in 2007, the annual event is held to promote mutual understanding and improve the two countries' trade and investment activities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn