Free trade negotiations between EFTA and Viet Nam continue

Mr Sveinung Røren, Director at the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, acted as the EFTA Spokesperson while the Vietnamese side was led by Mr Luong Hoang Thai, Director General at the Ministry of Industry and International Trade.

Building on progress from previous rounds and intersessional exchanges, negotiating teams from both sides continued their talks on a broad range of topics. Expert working groups discussed trade in goods, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, trade in services, investment/establishment, and legal and institutional issues. Intellectual property rights and government procurement were discussed at the level of Heads of Delegation. Detailed follow-ups were agreed to be undertaken by both sides in view of the next round, planned to take place before the end of the year.

Merchandise trade between the EFTA States and Viet Nam reached USD 3 billion in 2017. The EFTA States exported goods valued at USD 1 billion and imported goods worth USD 2 billion. EFTA’s leading exports to Viet Nam were seafood, pharmaceutical products and mechanical machinery, while electronics, footwear and apparel were the largest imports.

Read more on EFTA-Vietnam negotiations and trade statistics between EFTA and Vietnam.