Trade in goods between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) has seen positive growth since the beginning of 2021, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vietnamese lychees put on sale in France (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Trade in goods between Vietnam and the European Union (EU)has seen positive growth since the beginning of 2021, despite the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
According to statistics of the General Department ofCustoms, Vietnam exported 16.1 billion USD worth of goods to the EU duringJanuary-May, while importing commodities worth 6.7 billion USD from the bloc,up 20.1 percent and 16.8 percent compared to the same period last year,respectively.
The EU is currently Vietnam’s fifth largest trade partnerand second biggest importer of Vietnamese goods, following the US. Last year, two-way trade reached49.8 billion USD, down 0.1 percent year-on-year, and accounting for 9.13percent of Vietnam's total foreign trade.
With the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, Vietnam’s exportto the bloc has bounced back since the end of 2020, said Tran Thanh Hai, deputyhead of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Import-Export Department.
Thanks to the preferential tariffs under the deal, footwearexports to the bloc’s 27 member countries increased by 19.2 percentyear-on-year in the first quarter of 2021.
Countries that saw surges included Spain (39.2 percent), Belgium(37 percent), Czech Republic (36.5 percent) and Sweden (30.8 percent).
The agreement is also creating favourable conditions for theexport of Vietnamese farm produce.
In recent days, batches of fresh lychees have been shippedto the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Belgium.
Tran Van Cong, Vietnam's agricultural counsellor in Europe, saidthat the first batch of lychee to Belgium marked an important milestone as aspecial “passport” proving the production capacity of the Vietnamese agriculturalsector.
According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exportersand Producers (VASEP), European importers have shown more interest inVietnamese seafood suppliers given tariff advantages from the EVFTA and thestable source of raw materials. Vietnam’s seafood exports to the EU reachedover 380 million USD in the first 5 months of this year, up 15 percent y-o-y, with half of which, nearly 199 million USD, coming from shrimp, up22 percent y-o-y./.
Despite facing difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam's footwear industry still achieved double-digit growth and some companies have received long-term orders.
Another batch of ‘thieu’ lychee from the northern province of Hai Duong will be shipped to France this week thanks to swift consumption of the fruit in the European country.
Despite the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, shrimp exports by Mekong Delta provinces have increased remarkably this year thanks to efforts made by both authorities and businesses.
The agriculture sector is set to earn 41 billion USD from export in 2021, according to Vu Ba Phu, head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
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Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Vietnamese lychees put on sale in France (Photo: VNA) 
