Europe

Prof. Dr. Andreas Stoffers - Country director, Vietnam The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom The United Kingdom is an important trading partner of Vietnam. In 2020, trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $6.6 billion. With $5.8 billion in exports, Vietnam’s trade balance was clearly positive, which also underlines the country’s strong interest in reaching an amicable agreement with the UK. In recent years, despite the uncertainties associated with Brexit, the growth of trade relations has been unbroken, averaging 12.1 per cent per annum in 2011-2019. The trade relations between the EU and Vietnam are naturally greater given the fact that the EU is the world’s largest market. In 2019, the EU was the second-most important overseas market for Vietnamese products with a total trade volume of $56.45 billion, of which Vietnam’s exports accounted for two-thirds ($41.55 billion). This is 16 per cent of the country’s total export volume. In 2020, exports to the EU increased to $34.8 billion, and imports to $14.5 billion. Vietnam benefits significantly more from bilateral economic relations than the EU. The continuous surplus Vietnam enjoys in its bilateral trade relations with the EU has been instrumental in offsetting Vietnam’s huge trade deficits with China and South Korea. Vietnam exports mainly electronics, footwear, clothing and textiles, coffee, seafood, and furniture. The most important goods of EU exports to Vietnam are high-tech products including boilers, machinery and mechanical products, electrical machinery and equipment, pharmaceuticals, and a very limited number of motor vehicles. The EVFTA opens many opportunities for producers and traders on both sides, including small- and medium-sized enterprises. The EVFTA is of course one of the most modern and far-reaching agreements of its kind. It plays an important role in promoting trade liberalisation between Vietnam and the EU. Combined with the new Law on Investment which …

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Export value skyrockets over Lunar New Year Vietnam's export turnover during this Lunar New Year saw breakthrough growth, occupying nearly half of the total export-import turnover. The latest data published by the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that export volume over the seven days (February 10-16) of the Lunar New Year holiday reached $730 million, rising 79 per cent on-year and accounting for about 44 per cent of the $1.67 billion export-import turnover. The main export articles include mobile devices and components valued at $332 million; computer and electronic products worth $251 million. The two categories accounted for 80 per cent of the total export value. This Lunar New Year saw exports going to 80 markets, seven more than last year. China continues to be the leading export market with a value of $189 million (26 per cent). Following are the US ($152 million), South Korea ($67 million), and Hong Kong ($57 million). According to statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, there were 960 import-export businesses, up 59 per cent on-year. Nevertheless, importers still outnumbered exporters with an import turnover of $940 million, up 37 per cent on-year. Thus, from early this year to February 16, the total export-import turnover reached $74.51 billion, up 31 per cent on-year. Of this, exports hit $38.57 billion, up 36 per cent on-year while imports reached $35.94 billion, up 26 per cent, resulting in a trade surplus of $2.63 billion. Drug market forecast to grow by 15 per cent in 2021 The pharmaceutical industry grew by just 2.8 per cent last year, much lower than its average 11.8 per cent growth in the last five years. It is expected to recover and grow by 15 per cent this year, mainly due to a rapidly ageing population and increasing incomes, analysts at SSI Securities Corporation said. Last year there was a short supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients from China and India due to social distancing and …

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After the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) took effect on December 31, 2020, both sides saw impressive growth in their two-way trade though exports faced formidable challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, Vietnam’s shipment to the European country hit 598.07 million USD, or 84.61 percent higher than the same time last year, and 56.51 percent higher than December 2020. Exports of agricultural products maintained stable growth in the month, with export revenue of seafood surging 18.1 percent to 19.72 million USD, and fruits and vegetables rising 148.6 percent to 1.04 million USD. Under the UK trade deal, tariff levied on Vietnamese shrimp materials is reduced from 10-20 percent to zero percent, while more than 94 percent of 547 tariff lines on Vietnamese fruits and vegetables will be cut to zero percent. Experts said a wide range of Vietnamese fruits like lychee, longan, dragon fruit, pineapple and rambutan will hold more advantages to access the UK market over those from Brazil, Thailand and Malaysia who have not clinched a FTA with the European country. Vietnam also saw strong increase in its shipments of telephone and parts (up 371.6 percent to 252.59 million USD; machines, equipment and parts (up 109.9 percent to 74.58 million USD); computers and parts (up 91 percent to 31.82 million USD), among others. Meanwhile, Vietnam spent 59.297 million USD on imports from the UK, up 34.3 percent year-on-year. Last year, total trade value between the two nations reached 5.64 billion USD, with Vietnam posting positive trade balance of 4.27 billion USD. The UK continued to be the 3rd largest trade partner of Vietnam in Europe, just following Germany and the Netherlands. As of December 2020, the UK registered 3.84 billion USD in 411 projects in Vietnam, becoming the 15th biggest investor among 139 countries and territories landing investment in the nation. Most of the UK’s projects were in finance, banking, oil and renewable energy. …

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