EFTA and Viet Nam Heads of Delegation discuss status of free trade negotiations

Sveinung Røren, Director at the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, acted as the EFTA spokesperson. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Luong Hoang Thai, Director General at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The delegations had productive discussions on open issues in the negotiation process, including Trade in Goods, Intellectual Property Rights, and Trade and Sustainable Development.

Both sides agreed to continue their work to find mutually beneficial solutions.

EFTA – Viet Nam trade relations

The EFTA – Viet Nam negotiation process began in 2012. Since then, 16 rounds of negotiations have taken place. Although progress has slowed in recent years, both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to a broad-based free trade agreement. Clarifications around domestic developments were provided, and both sides agreed to continue their constructive discussions soon.

In 2023, fish and crustaceans, pharmaceutical products and electrical machinery and were the main exports from EFTA to Viet Nam, while electrical machinery, footwear and woven apparel or clothing accessories were the primary imports from Viet Nam. Read more about merchandise trade between EFTA and Viet Nam here.