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Vietnam

Vietnam signed a fairly comprehensive bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States in 2000. It came into force in 2001. The BTA was part of the post-war "trade normalisation" process between the two countries and should be seen as strong precursor to a watertight US FTA. In June 2007, Hanoi and Washington signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, yet another step towards a possible FTA. And in December 2008, the two governments began negotiating a hardcore bilateral investment treaty (BIT), yet another.

In January 2007, Hanoi and Tokyo began talks towards a Japan-Vietnam deal, which was finally signed in December 2008. Shortly after, Vietnam began talks with Chile, with the FTA signed in 2011. Hanoi already signed an FTA with Israel back in 2004 and may join the TPP. It is also intending to negotiate FTAs with EFTA, Russia and Mexico

As a member of ASEAN, Vietnam is caught up in the bloc’s regional FTA dealings with Korea, the EU, China, Japan and India. The Vietnamese government has also signed a number of bilateral intellectual property and science & technology agreements with industrialised countries, as well as more than 30 BITs.

last update: May 2012
Photo: Phó Nháy/Wikimedia


Vietnam’s FTAs: Boon or Bane?
As 2018 brings newer and bigger free trade agreements (FTAs), Vietnamese enterprises are faced with tough choices. They can either adapt and move up the global supply chain, or stand by while imported goods flood the country’s market.
Vietnam explores its trade options with the U.S.
Trade experts say Vietnamese Prime Minister hopes to start talks to replace TPP with one of the bilateral, country-to-country deals that the Trump administration says it prefers over multinational accords.
Vietnam, US hold trade meeting in Washington
Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met as co-chairs of the Vietnam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council in Washington.
Việt Nam willing to foster bilateral trade with RoK: PM says
Việt Nam is ready to work with the Republic of Korea (RoK) to effectively implement the bilateral free trade agreement.
Vietnam to test Trump on signing solo trade pacts
Vietnam will test U.S. President Donald Trump’s openness to one-on-one trade deals as it starts nudging Washington for an eventual agreement to replace its role in the defunct Trans Pacific Partnership.
Lao farm products to enjoy tariff exemptions
The farm products comprise crops and livestock as well as home-grown products.
Can Vietnam take full advantage of preferences in VN-EAEU FTA?
With the free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) having taken effect, many Vietnamese export items now enjoy a zero percent tariff. However, it will be not an easy task to boost exports.
VN-EAEU FTA slashes import taxes
Import tax rate of 4,959 tariff lines dropped to zero from October 5, 2016, the date the Việt Nam-EAEU FTA came into effect, until December 31, 2017.
Vietnamese PM called for PTA, FTA with Iran
Iran President Rouhani met with Vietnam PM Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and discussed the ways to enact the bilateral agreements signed and to broaden the areas of cooperation.
New tariff for VJEPA available
Viet Nam’s new import tariff, part of the Viet Nam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) for 2016-19, has come into force.