Retail News CRM

Tag: trade agreement

  • Vietnam and US Near Deal on Reciprocal Trade Agreement

    Vietnam and US Near Deal on Reciprocal Trade Agreement

    Vietnam and the United States have reached the final stage of negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement following high-level talks in New York on Monday morning.

    US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer confirmed that bilateral negotiating teams have made significant progress and are very close to reaching a final outcome.

    High-Level Talks in New York

    Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and President To Lam met Greer during his visit to attend the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, affirming Vietnam’s commitment to advance bilateral ties with President Donald Trump’s administration.

    Lam stated that trade and investment remain a central pillar of bilateral relations. Vietnam has increased its purchases of American goods in recent years to address trade imbalances, generate employment, and support industrial supply chains in both nations.

    Addressing Section 301 and Market Access

    Greer credited Vietnamese officials for actively working toward trade parity. Once concluded and ratified, the reciprocal trade deal will establish enforceable terms covering market access, tariff structures, and bilateral purchasing commitments.

    A critical point on the table remains the status of United States trade inquiries. Lam urged American negotiators to adopt a comprehensive stance on unresolved disputes, particularly trade investigations launched under Section 301 of the United States Trade Act of 1974.

    Supply Chain Realignment Across Southeast Asia

    For consumer brands and contract manufacturers across Southeast Asia, a finalized trade pact provides long-sought policy certainty. Sourcing managers shifted substantial electronics, apparel, and footwear production to Vietnamese industrial hubs over the past decade, creating large bilateral trade surpluses that drew regulatory scrutiny in Washington.

    Securing a reciprocal pact reduces tariff risks for export manufacturers in northern and southern Vietnam. It also creates clearer pathways for United States agricultural, energy, and machinery exporters looking to expand distribution into fast-growing consumer markets in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

    Next Steps on Agreement Timelines

    The bilateral economic dialogue builds on several years of diplomatic upgrades between Hanoi and Washington. Previous rounds focused on currency practices, timber sourcing reviews, and customs compliance.

    Negotiating teams from both countries are working through the remaining text of the agreement ahead of formal legal scrubbing. The final outcome hinges on settling the scope of the Section 301 trade provisions before leaders present the deal for executive signing.

  • EU pushes for approval of trade agreement with Vietnam

    EU pushes for approval of trade agreement with Vietnam

    The European Commission submitted for approval on Wednesday a free trade agreement with Vietnam. The E.U.-Vietnam trade and investment agreements will need approval from the E.U.’s 28 members and from the European Parliament.

    The parties have agreed a related accord to promote democracy and human rights, including commitments, dialogue and possible sanctions. E.U. Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said no one denied there were human rights problems in Vietnam.

    “We are talking openly about this with our Vietnamese counterparts and the trade agreement will not make Vietnam a fully fledged democracy overnight. It is one tool in the toolbox that we have in relations with Vietnam and other countries,” she said.

    The European Union will sign a trade deal on Friday with Singapore, another member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and is in talks with Indonesia.

    It is unclear whether the European Parliament, which is expected to debate and vote on the Singapore agreement as well as the E.U.-Japan free trade deal, will have time to pass the Vietnam accord before E.U. elections in May.

    The trade deal would eliminate 99 percent of all tariffs, although some staged over a time period and some, notably agricultural products, limited by quotas.

    Vietnam, for example, would cut its duty on E.U. car imports from 78 percent to zero over 10 years and for wines and spirits, from around 50 percent, over seven years. E.U. companies would also be able to bid for Vietnamese public contracts.

    In return, the European Union would take seven years to eliminate its duties on certain Vietnamese products, such as its major textiles, clothing and footwear exports.

    Vietnam has pledged to protect 169 European food and drinks products, such as champagne or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, meaning such names could only be used for E.U. imports.

    The agreement includes a chapter on sustainable development, such as implementing international standards on labour rights and the Paris climate accord.

    Lees ook: