WT/TPR/M/410  
21 July 2021  
(21-5725) Page: 1/58 
Trade Policy Review Body   
27 and 29 April 2021  
  
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  
VIET NAM 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING  
Chairperson: H.E. Dr Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme (Botswana)  
CONTENTS  
 
1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ ......................  2 
2  OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF VIET NAM ................................ ... 4 
3  STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT  ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
4  STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS  ................................ ................................ .......................  11 
5  REPLI ES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF VIET NAM AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS  ...... 50 
6  CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ ........................  57 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: Advance written questions and additional questions by WTO Members, and the replies provided 
by Viet Nam  are reproduced in document WT/TPR/M/ 410/Add.1  and will be available online at 
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  1  INTRODUCTOR Y REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
1.1.  The second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam  was held on 27 and 29 April 2021. The Chairperson, 
H.E. Dr. Athaliah  Lesiba  Molokomme (Botswana), welcomed the delegation of Viet Nam , headed by 
H.E. Mr . Tran Quoc Khanh , Deputy  Minist er of Industry and Trade ; H.E. Ambassador Mrs . Le Thi 
Tuyet Mai, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the WTO ; the rest of the delegation from 
Ha Noi; and the discussant , H.E. Ambassador Mrs. Monique V an Daalen  (Netherlands) . 
1.2.  The Chairperson was pleased that, in addition to physical presence, the meeting also benefited 
from the Interprefy online connection, allowing for a wider participation of the Membership, in 
particular of officials who could not make the journey from Ha No i given the current circumstances.  
1.3.  The Chairperson recalled the purpose of TPRs and the main elements of procedures for the 
meeting. The report by Viet Nam  is contained in document WT/TPR/G/410 , and that of the WTO 
Secretariat in document WT/TPR/S/410 . 
1.4.  Questions by the following delegations were submitted in writing before the deadline: Israel; 
Brunei Darussalam; Japan; Canada; Ukraine; Chile; Hong Kong, China; Switzerland; New Zealand; 
Malaysia; Singapore; Mexico; China; Argentina; the United States; Aust ralia; Chinese  Taipei; and 
Brazil . The following delegations submitted written questions after the deadline: the European Union; 
Colombia; Indonesia; the Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Thailand; the Philippines; Turkey; the 
Republic of Korea ; Iceland; the United Kingdom; Bangladesh; and Kazakhstan . 
1.5.  In Viet Nam's first TPR, which took place in September 2013, Members  had congratulated 
Viet Nam for the progress ma de in moving from a low -income country, with a centrally -planned 
economy, to a market -led lower middle -income economy. They had commended Viet Nam's 
achievement in reducing poverty levels through fast export -led growth.  
1.6.  Since the first Review, Viet Nam had continued its development endeavour by further opening 
its economy. In 2019, Viet Nam was ranked among the 20 largest traders in the WTO, and its poverty 
rate had declined to near ly 6%.  
1.7.  During the review period, Viet Nam deepened its participation in gl obal value chains (GVCs). 
As the Secretariat reported, GVC trade did not lose momentum even while facing the impact of the 
COVID -19 pandemic. Since 2013, the share of manufactured goods , including high value -added 
consumer electronics , in total exports had  almost doubled.  
1.8.  In the g overnment r eport, the authorities attributed this outcome to a mix of policies and 
reforms aimed at, inter alia , transforming and diversifying the economy and increasing exports.  
1.9.  Members wish ed to learn the experience from Viet N am on how to successfully engage in GVCs. 
Viet Nam share d with Members its intention to participate  in international initiatives, such as joining 
the WTO GPA, the expanded ITA, and other ongoing initiatives at the WTO.  
1.10.   At the time of the first TPR, several  Members had noted that Viet Nam's administrative and 
legal system was complex. They had also considered that a simpler, more stable, and predictable 
investment regime would be essential for Viet Nam to attract more foreign direct investment.  
1.11.   During the r eview period, Viet Nam continued taking steps to improve its business 
environment, including by enacting new legislation on enterprises and investment, competition 
policy, and government procurement.  
1.12.   Nonetheless, foreign investment restrictions remain ed in place. For example, equities caps on 
foreign ownership were applied in a number of sectors, such as financial, transport, and 
telecommunication services, as well as services incidental to agriculture. As indicated in their 
advance written questions for t his Review, some Members wished  to learn more about the 
investment environment, in particular the policies and incentives provided in export processing zones 
and industrial parks.  
1.13.   Protection of intellectual property rights was a matter of high priority at the time of the first 
Review. During this review period, Viet Nam updated its IPR regime and launched a national WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  campaign on IPR  awareness. Members were interested in knowing more about the protection 
provided by the new legislation, and Viet Nam's policy on technology transfer. Members also wish ed 
to know more about  Viet Nam's effort s in IPR enforcement, including the fight against online 
infringement.  
1.14.   On sectoral issues, at the time of the previous Review, there had been  concern over the 
perceived lack of information on g overnment assistance to agriculture an d support to fisheries. 
Viet Nam remains an important exporter in the world's rice and fisheries  markets. Members were 
interested in learning more about Viet Nam's policy intention for these two sectors, especially its 
participation in the fishery subsidy negotiations, and effort to combat illegal, unreported and 
unregulated (IUU) fishing.  
1.15.   Other issu es arising  from Members' advance questions include d: the applications of tariff 
quotas, the customs valuation methods, export prohibitions of certain products, alignment to 
international standards in connection with TBT and SPS measures, and business envir onment for the 
pharmaceutical industry. Some of these had already  been raised during the previous R eview, while 
some are new issues.  
1.16.   The Chairperson looked forward to hearing updates from Viet Nam on these matters during 
the two -day meeting .  
1.17.   This meeting was a good opportunity for Members to discuss in greater detail issues of interest 
to them and of systemic importance to the multilateral trading system.  
1.18.   It was also an opportune moment for Viet Nam to update the Membership on the impact of 
the COVID -19 pa ndemic on  its economy and measures it had  taken in response. The Chairperson  
looked forward to a fruitful exchange.  
1.19.   The Chairperson closed her introductory remarks by wishing Viet Nam a very successful 
second Trade Policy Review.  
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  2  OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF VIET NAM  (H.E. MR. TRAN QUOC 
KHANH ) 
2.1.  On behalf of the Government of Viet Nam, I am deeply honoured  to be here today at Viet Nam's 
second Trade Policy Review under the framework of  the WTO. Also attending with me are the 
representatives of all relevant ministries and agencies based in Ha Noi, as well as our colleagues 
from the Viet Nam's Mission in Gene va. 
2.2.  First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Ambassador Molokomme, Chair of the Trade 
Policy Review Body, and the staff of the WTO Secretariat for your enthusiasm and close collaboration 
throughout the preparation for this Trade Policy Review.  May I also thank Her Excellency Monique 
Van Daalen, Ambassador , Head of the Mission of the Netherlands to Geneva, for her zealous  role as 
the discussant for this Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam.  
2.3.  This is the second time that Viet Nam has undertaken our TPR – a work reflecting WTO's 
fundamental principle of transparency. Leading up to today's ses sion, we have received over 
850 questions from 31 WTO Members. We have strived with our best efforts based on goodwill and 
earnestness to answer  to as many questions  as possible in written form. With those responses , as 
well as the direct questions  at tod ay's session, we hope that WTO M embers will obtain a more 
objective, accurate, and comprehensive view of the trade -related policies that the Vietnamese  
Government has  been enforcing.  
2.4.  As we can all witness, the world economy is undergoing a challenging time due to many 
reasons, factors , most notably the COVID -19 pandemic and the earlier turmoil in trade relationships 
at both regional and global levels. In such a contex t, Viet Nam, as a developing country  located  in 
the hub of a dynamic region, still achieved considerably positive and outstanding outcomes. Eight 
years ago, in 2013, when Viet Nam conducted the first TPR, our GDP growth was only 5.4%. Today , 
this number ha s reached 7%, putting Viet Nam in the high  growth group of the region and the world. 
With the size of USD 343 billion in 2020, the Vietnamese economy is currently amongst the top 40 
largest  economies  in the world.  
2.5.  From 2013 to 2019, Viet Nam's trade volume  rocketed from USD 264 billion to USD 517 billion, 
with an average compound annual growth rate of 11.85%. Statistics also show that the Viet Nam's 
total exports and imports have increased respectively 170 times compared to when we started the 
"Doi Moi" pol icy in 1986; 37 times compared to when we acceded to ASEAN in 1995; and five times 
higher than when we officially acceded to the WTO in 2007. According to WTO's World Trade 
Statistical Review 2020, among the top 50 merchandise traders , Viet Nam recorded th e biggest 
increase in world ranking, improving its position from 39th place in 2009 to 23rd in 2019. All of this 
demonstrates how "open" Viet Nam is and how seriously we have implemented our commitments 
since joining the WTO.  
2.6.  In recent years, t hanks to the signing and implementation of a series of free trade agreements, 
together with our efforts to improve the business and investment environment, to maintain security 
and political stability, as well as in economic development, Viet Nam has made remarkable 
achievements in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), creating a driving force for economic 
growth. In 2019, Viet Nam's registered FDI capital hit a record high of USD 39 billion since the global 
economic crisis of 2008 -2009.  
2.7.  Another signi ficant indicator  for assessing the strength of an economy is the national 
competitiveness. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Viet Nam's Global Competitiveness 
Index (GCI) has improved 13 places - from 68 out of  131 economies ranked in 2007 to 55  out of 
137 economies ranked in 2017 – moving from the bottom half to the top half of the global 
competitiveness ranking. In 2019, WEF upgraded Viet Nam's GCI by 10 places compared to 2018, 
ranking 67th out of  141 economies.  
2.8.  Apart from such indicators, Vi et Nam has also achieved tremendous results i n sustainable 
development. According to the United Nations survey and evaluation, Viet Nam has continuously 
climbed up the ranks in Sustainable Development Index (SDG) from the 88th place in 2016 to 57th 
and 49t h place in 2018 and 2020, respectively. These e conomic achievements have significantly 
contributed to the country's poverty alleviation. The poverty rate has decreased from 9.88% at the 
end of 2015 to less than 3% in 2020, with an average reduction of over  1.4% annually.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  2.9.  The aforementioned achievements were not made overnight; rath er, they are the fruits of 
long-term efforts, persistence, and steadfastness in implementing plenty of reforms, restructuring 
the economy together with innovation of growth models ; enhancing productivity; amending legal 
regulations; improving business and investment environment towards modernity and transparency; 
ensuring fair competition; creating favourable  conditions for businesses and approaching closer than 
ever to internation al standards. Let me point out a few examples among many of such policies . 
2.10.   First, Viet Nam has established a fairly complete economic legislative system, serving as a 
legal foundation for the operation of businesses of all types. Fundamental laws based on which the 
economy and businesses, in particular, operate have been revised towards the direction of openness, 
innovation, and facilitation  of business , such as the 2015 Law on Investment and the 2015 Law on 
Enterprises. The mode of operations of state agen cies continues to be reformed. Such agencies now 
arrange frequent dialogues to seek feedback from the public and the business community, in order 
to provide timely policy responses, as well as to promptly and satisfactorily  resolve shortcomings in 
the busi ness and investment environment. Between 2016 and 2020, there was an annual average 
of 128,000 newly established businesses with an increase in average  registered capital by over 
2.6 times compared to 2015. By the end of 2020, there had been an accumulatio n of 1.4 million 
registered enterprises, excluding dissolved ones.  
2.11.   Second, Viet Nam has implemented many measures to support business development and to 
improve the investment environment, which have received international recognition, focusing on 
creating  favourable  conditions for businesses, reforming administrative procedures, and reducing 
production cost. Viet Nam has established a National Public Services Portal that connects Public 
Services Portals to all ministries and localities, providing 389 onlin e public services. Furthermore, 
the government has reduced and simplified 3,893 out of 6,191 conditions for businesses,  and 
reduced 30 out of 120 administrative procedures related to specialized examination. This effort has 
saved about 18 million working d ays annually, equivalent to VND 6,300 billion. Ministries and 
localities have also implemented the single  window  mechanism for  the provision of public services. 
According to the 2018 survey of the United Nations , Viet Nam ranked 88th out of 193 countries in 
e-government and 59th out of 193 countries in the online public services index.  
2.12.   In addition, the Vietnamese Government has also focused on developing and upgrading 
logistics infrastructure and services such as highways, airports,  and seaports  contributing to greater 
connectivity between both domestic regions and  paving the way for international trade.  
2.13.   With our efforts in improving the business environment, ac cording to the World Bank, 
Viet Nam's Ease of Doing Bu siness Rank has made great strides. Specifically, if Viet Nam ranked 
only 99th in 2013 in terms of favourable  business environment, by 2019 such ranking had climbed 
to 69th.  
2.14.   Third, alongside domestic policies, the Government of Viet Nam in recent years has  actively 
promoted deeper integration into the regional and global economy. The most obvious example is 
Viet Nam's conclusion of negotiation, signing and implementation of a series of free trade 
agreements (FTAs) with many partners in the region and around  the world, including high standards 
FTAs with deep commitments, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for 
Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU -Viet Nam Free Tra de Agreement (EVFTA) and the 
UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA). Our participation in these FTAs once again stands 
testimony to Viet Nam's consistent policy and strong determination in proactively reforming and 
improving its legislation, and enhancing the competitiveness of the economy to anticipate and 
efficiently make use  of the opportunities and benefits brought about by these FTAs.  
2.15.   In other multilateral frameworks such as ASEAN or APEC, Viet Nam has played an active and 
leading role, assisting  its members in reaching  consensus on many important issues. This has been 
clearly demonstrated  during Viet Nam's Chair manship  of APEC in 2017 and the Chair manship  of 
ASEAN in 2020.  
2.16.   Last but not least, it is Viet Nam's steadfast support for an open, fair and rule -based 
multilateral trading system. Recognizing the difficulties and ch allenges facing the WTO, Viet Nam 
has actively participated in discussions on initiatives and proposals on WTO reform, and joining 
negotiations on current key topics such as fisheries subsidies.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  2.17.   Moving forward , following such solid foundations and achievem ents, Viet Nam will continue to 
promote trade policies in a more comprehensive and synchronous manner, towards the larger goal 
of economic development associated with sustainable growth, improving people's lives and 
contributing to the common prosperity of  the region and the world. To be precise , Viet Nam will 
continue to innovate and improve our development and strictly enforce the law, ensuring 
consistency, feasibility, modernity and international competitiveness. The government will continue 
to operate s ynchronously and flexibly macro policies to stabilize the macro -economy, control 
inflation, support sustainable economic growth, and stabilize the curren cy and foreign exchange 
markets,  whilst implementing the sustainable development goals under the United Nations 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regarding the reform of administrative procedures, we will 
continue to reduce administrative procedures and business conditions; and strictly control the 
introduction of new administrative procedures.  
2.18.   In terms of external trade policies, Viet Nam will strive to be more active in the affairs of the 
WTO with the immediate goal of achieving substantive  results at the 12th WTO Ministerial Mee ting 
to be held this late November -early December. In addition, Viet Nam will also focus on the effective 
and comprehensive implementation of existing international commitments and FTAs, and looks for 
potential partners to negotiate new FTAs, contributing to expanding our commercial relations.  
2.19.   Above are the results and highlights of the trade policies which Viet Nam has been and will be 
implementing moving forward . We stand ready to answer and provide more information to WTO 
Members during the next two days  to help you get a full picture of Viet Nam’s  efforts and 
determination in realizing our present economic development policies based on full implementation 
of and compliance with international commitments. Thank you for your kind attention.  
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  3  STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT  
Introduction  
3.1.  Viet Nam and the Netherlands share excellent relations. Trade between our countries is 
flourishing and growing year by year. My personal interest in Viet Nam and its economy dates back 
several decades. I wrote my Master's thesis  about the lending policies of the Asian Development 
Bank, and Viet Nam was one of the case studies I described. I have been following economic 
developments in Viet Nam ever since. So I am honoured to particip ate today as discussant in 
Viet Nam's second Tr ade Policy Review.  
3.2.  The common thread in my intervention today is that Viet Nam has been able over the past 
decades to foster trade as a driver of economic growth and poverty reduction. When the Viet Nam 
War ended in 1975, Viet Nam's economy was one of the poorest in the world. By initiating economic 
reforms and making use of the opportunities which the multilatera l trading system provides, 
Viet Nam has been able to develop into a middle -income country with a young and growing 
population and a vibrant econom y. Viet Nam's economic development has proven to be an example 
for many other countries. Moreover, these experiences should give further impetus to our initiatives 
to reform the WTO and to put its negotiation and dispute settlement pillar back on track.  
3.3.  I would like at the outset to thank the WTO Secretariat and the Government of Viet Nam for 
their outstanding reports. They provide us with the necessary information to review and further 
improve our trade policies.  
3.4.  In addition, I would like to thank Deput y Minister Tran Quoc Khanh for his thought -provoking 
introductory remarks.  
Economic and trading development  
3.5.  Thirty -five years ago, the Vietnamese G overnment initiated the Doi Moi. The Doi Moi is the 
economic reform process that dismantled the largely plan ned economy, opened up a closed economy 
to international markets and trade, and initiated pro -business reforms.  
3.6.  Since these reforms, Viet Nam has transformed into a lower -middle -income emerging 
economy. The poverty rate declined sharply from over 70% in t he early 1990s to below 6% in 2019. 
During the period under review, GDP per capita rose quickly from almost USD 1,900 to over 
USD 2,700. In other words, it grew with over 40% in six years. Even in 2020, a daunting year for 
many reasons, Viet Nam's economy managed to grow, albeit at a significantly slower pace.  
3.7.  Trade has contributed to Viet Nam's economic growth and to lifting millions out of poverty. 
Since its last Review in 2013, Viet Nam has further integrated into the world economy. Trade 
integration fa cilitated Viet Nam's participation in global value chains, first as an exporter of low -tech 
manufactured goods and later more complex high -tech goods. It is impressive that both imports and 
exports more than doubled over the period under review. Labour pro ductivity grew at a no less 
staggering pace of 65% in six years.  
3.8.  Some challenges, however, remain. In order to sustain the tra nsition from a low - to a 
middle -income country, investments have to be made in education and innovation and require a 
shift to a more circular economy. Foreign investors indicate that they would like to see a further 
reduction in red tape, more predictable tax policies, and increased transparency. Moreover, 
unlocking the huge potential of formal and informal MSMEs and the female wor kforce, as well as 
tackling growing inequality in the distribution of wealth, are key to maintaining Viet Nam's 
international competitiveness.  
3.9.  Services are the main sector in the Vietnamese economy. Its share in GDP is 46%. Whereas 
most services are oriented to the domestic market, the manufa cturing sector is highly 
export -oriented.  
3.10.   In the remaining part of my intervention, I will briefly address some specific topics including 
state-owned enterprises, Regional and Bilateral Trade Agreements, Foreign Direct Investment, 
Services, and ICT goods and telecommunications.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  State -owned enterprises  
3.11.   As the reports note, the economy of Viet Nam is defined by its Constitution as a 
socialist -oriented market economy. It is characterized by economic dualism combinin g government 
planning with free -market incentives. Although extensive market reforms have already been carried 
out, the 2013 report mentioned the need to intensify the restructuring of state-owned enterprises. 
In their questions during this Trade Policy Re view some Members reiterated that the structural 
transformation is not yet complete, resulting in an uneven playing field between the state and the 
private sector. They deem further reforms to be required, including on to the issue of state trading 
and pri ce stabilization.  
3.12.   The number of 100% state-owned enterprises fell from 1,309 to 487 in the last decade. 
Additionally, the government continues to hold a controlling stake in 185 enterprises. The banking 
sector, for example, is dominated by state-owned com mercial banks. State -owned enterprises also 
dominate the telecommunications market, including the delivery of internet services.  
3.13.   In 2019 , the Prime Minister of Viet Nam approved the overall project on economic 
restructuring. The G overnment of Viet Nam has enacted a number of laws and regulations to 
implement its objectives. Among other things, amendments to the Investment Law aim to equalize 
business conditions for state-owned, foreign -invested,  and domestic private enterprises. Fully 
respecting, the nation al specifics of these measures, I do believe that we, the WTO community, can 
draw inspiration from the course of action taken by Viet Nam in this respect.  
Regional and Bilateral Trade Agreements  
3.14.   Viet Nam considers that participation in regional trade agreements is a way to advance its 
international integration. In that regard, ASEAN is considered to be Viet Nam's cornerstone. Among 
other a greements, Viet Nam has recently become Party to the CPTPP -Agreement and RCEP. In 
addition, the Free Trade Agreement bet ween Viet Nam and the European Union entered into force 
on 1 August 2020 and the EU -Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement is in the process of 
ratification.  
3.15.   These agreements offer the EU and Viet Nam good opportunities to exchange views on how 
to promo te trade for sustainable development: trade for the benefit of all, companies both big and 
small, women and men alike, while respecting nature and the environment.  
3.16.   Viet Nam is not yet a Contracting Party to the WTO Plurilateral Agreement on Government 
Procurement. Nevertheless, the report notes that Viet Nam made its  first commitments in the 
CPTPP -Agreement and the EU -Viet Nam FTA to open up its government procurement procedures to 
foreign suppliers bidding directly from abroad. The government procurement chapters of both 
agreements are based to a large extent on the GPA. These first commitments will hopefully be a 
step towards committing to WTO disciplines on government procurement and opening up additional 
opportunities for Vietnamese businesses.  
Investm ent 
3.17.   Viet Nam's investment regime has been substantially revised since its previous Review in 
2013. By updating its legal framework, Viet Nam intends to equalize the treatment accorded to 
Vietnamese and foreign investors and to attract more foreign dire ct investment. The reports note  
that further investment is likely to be needed to raise Viet Nam's potential growth path.  
3.18.   Most of Viet Nam's inward FDI was destined for the manufacturing sector. FDI in Viet Nam's 
manufacturing sector is dominated by electroni c multinationals and apparel producers engaged in 
processing and final assembly. The investment in these segments is positively correlated to 
productivity. An IMF working paper shows that Viet Nam's deep engagement in global value chains 
improves the capac ity of local firms that supply those foreign -owned firms.  
3.19.   Despite these positive developments, opportunities to further improve the investment climate 
exist. For example, procedures for entering the Vietnamese market could be further streamlined to 
limit administrative burdens. In some sectors foreign equity caps of between 30 and 70% are in 
force, including in banking, telecoms and transport. Approval from the Prime Minister is required for WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  specific investment projects, including all projects valued at mo re than USD 214 million. In addition, 
the report notes that the hiring of foreign workers is subject to the approval of the Chairman of the 
local People's Committee, based on employers' needs that cannot be covered by Vietnamese 
workers.  
Services  
3.20.   Service s are the main sector in the Vietnamese economy. But trade in services remains a very 
small component of Viet Nam's foreign trade. Viet Nam imports more services than it exports.  
3.21.   In light of the growing productivity in the services sector, there is good r eason to believe that 
Viet Nam's trade in services will continue to grow in the future, especially when it will become easier 
to travel again as we emerge from the COVID -19 pandemic.  
3.22.   Viet Nam is not yet a formal participant in one of the Joint Statement I nitiatives in services. 
Joining these negotiations may give further impetus to Viet Nam's services sector. Recently, Thailand 
and Australia gave a presentation on similarities between Domestic Regulation provisions in the 
RCEP Agreement and the JSI. It app ears that Viet Nam is already bound by and committed to most 
of the disciplines in the Domestic Regulation JSI through its commitments in regional trade 
agreements.  
ICT Goods and Telecommunications  
3.23.   Manufacturing is becoming increasingly important to the Vietnamese economy. In 2019, more 
than 11 million Vietnamese were working in the manufacturing sector. Exports are crucial for this 
sector and the export of manufactured goods is crucial for the Vietn amese economy. Whereas the 
contribution of manufacturing to GDP rose by a few percentage points to 18%, manufacturing 
exports more than doubled during the period under review.  
3.24.   In particular, the production of footwear and garments rose substantially durin g the review 
period. Apart from textiles, Viet Nam has emerged as an important manufacturing cent er for ICT 
equipment, in particular smartphones and consumer electronics. Viet Nam's manufacturing exports 
are also dominated by ICT products and textiles. The  export of telephones and spare parts accounted 
for an astonishing 27% of total merchandise exports in 2019.  
3.25.   Interestingly, Viet Nam mostly imports electronic products as intermediate goods and 
subsequently exports electronic products as final consumer goods. Whereas Viet Nam imports most 
from China, most of Viet Nam's exports are destined for the United States. It comes as no surprise 
that rising trade tensions in recent years have also affected Viet Nam.  
3.26.   Viet Nam has joined the Information Technology Agreemen t. WTO research shows that 
Viet Nam has recorded the highest annual increase in exports of ITA  products of all ITA members. 
In addition, Viet Nam's exports of ITA products rose more than the export of any other product 
group. Viet Nam's share in the world exports of ITA -2 expansion pr oducts is also increasing. 
Viet Nam has, however, not yet decided to join t he ITA -expansion.  
3.27.   Viet Nam's telecommunications market continued to grow in recent years. This expansion is 
expected to be sustained in the coming years, given the government's plan to promote the 
application and development of IT solutions to meet object ives of sustainable economic growth and 
integration. The development of IT -related activities in the country continues to boost the demand 
for telecommunications services. The government intends to develop software and digital content 
outsourcing services to enable a thriving telecommunications industry. Yet, some Members have 
raised concerns regarding the Law on Cybersecurity and its implementation measures, which would 
affect a wide array of digital service suppliers. Concerns exist regarding data locali zation and local 
presence requirements as well as regarding the protection of personal data.  
Outlook  
3.28.   Viet Nam's prospec ts are promising. Viet Nam's R eport states that it strives to become, by 
2030, a developing country with modern industry, high -average in come, efficient and effective WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  institutions, and a dynamic and sustainable economy. By 2045 , Viet Nam aims to be a developed 
and high -income country.  
3.29.   Deputy Minister, I am encouraged by Viet Nam's economic development during the period 
under review and hop eful that Viet Nam will overcome existing challenges and manage to achieve 
these ambitious goals. As the past has shown, the multilateral trading system and the WTO can 
contribute to delivering these objectives. Deputy Minister, I wish you  and your delegat ion a 
productive Trade Policy Review. Thank you.  
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  4  STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS  
ISRAEL  
4.1.  Israel would like to than k you, the d iscussant , H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. V an Daalen  
(Netherlands), and the Secretariat for the detailed reports. Israel also welcomes Mr. T ran Quoc 
Khanh, as the Head of d elegation. Although in modern history the ties between our two countries 
can be traced back to the 70s, Israel and Viet Nam’s formal rel ations began in 1993 . Since then, 
there has been an exponential growth primarily through trade. We look forward to continuing and 
increasing trade as Israel views Viet Nam as a close economic partner and a gateway to the ASEAN 
Economic Community.  
4.2.  The bilat eral trade between Israel and Viet Nam is growing steadily, reflecting a growing mutual 
interest of both business and industrial sectors. Bilateral trade betwe en Israel and Viet Nam reached 
USD 1,135 milli on in 2020, a slight rise from USD 1,100 million in  2019. This trend does not seem 
to be slowing down. Despite the COVID -19 pandemic, trade revenue betwee n the two countries 
stood at USD 791 million during the first half of 2020 and topped USD 1 billion only a few weeks 
later.  
4.3.  Israel's main exports to Viet  Nam are dominated by electronics and machinery, agricultural 
technology and equipment, chemicals, minerals, and technological services. On Viet  Nam's side, its 
exports to Israel include food, coffee, natural products, textiles, and shoes.  
4.4.  The existing bi lateral trade profile is one reason why Israeli companies are interested in 
agriculture, investment, startups, applying technology in production, cybersecurity, and information 
technology.  
4.5.  Our interest in capitalizing and mutually benefiting from increase d and more diversified trade 
is reflected by our ongoing negotiation on a free trade agreement between Viet Nam and Israel, 
which we hope we can conclude as soon as possible. The FTA between our countries would mark an 
important milestone in Viet Nam -Israel bilateral relations and will serve a s a platform for enhanced 
cooperation in various areas of trade.  
4.6.  During this TPR exercise, Israel submitted some questions to Viet Nam, and we look forward 
to reviewing the replies in due course. The areas of interest for Israel include intellectual property, 
services, and government procurement.  
4.7.  In the WTO, Viet Nam is a valued partner and an active contributor to the Organization's 
success. In that sense, Israel encourages Viet Nam to join the other JSIs it is not par ticipating in 
yet. Israel would especially highlight the e -commerce JSI, which is an area where we see great 
potential for mutual benefits, that is, for other WTO Members and Viet Nam.  
4.8.  On that note, and as noted in the Secretariat report, Viet Nam has been  an observer in the 
WTO Committee on Government Procurement since December 2012. Israel would also encourage 
Viet Nam to begin its process of accession in this agreement. It could be the first step in increasing 
participation in the agreement across the re gion while at the same time benefiting Viet Nam with 
open, fair, and transparent conditions of competition in major government procurement markets.  
4.9.  As we are nearing the half -year mark, Israel looks forward to Viet Nam’s continued constructive 
engagement a nd contributions towards our work at the WTO with a view towards a successful 
Ministerial Conference.  
4.10.   Finally, Israel looks forward to continuing our collaboration with Viet Na m and its delegation 
in Geneva. Israel wishes Viet Nam a successful TPR.  
BRUNEI  DARUSSALAM  ON BEHALF  OF ASEAN  
4.11.   It is a great pleasure to warmly welcome the delegation of Viet Nam led by Deputy Minister 
Tran Quoc Khanh of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to their second  Trade Policy Review. We 
thank Viet Nam for its government report and s tatement. We would also like to thank WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  H.E. Ambassador Monique T.G. V an Daalen  of the Netherlands for her role as discussant and the 
WTO Secretariat for its comprehensive report.  
4.12.   Viet Nam has been an ASEAN Member S tate since 1995 and has been an active contributor in 
the development of the ASEAN Community’s regional integration and cooperation efforts. During its 
ASEAN Chairmanship last year, despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID -19 
pandemic, i t has successfully delivered on its Chairmanship theme of “Cohesive and Responsive 
ASEAN” by helping build an ASEAN Community that is increasingly united in the face of regional and 
global challenges. It has also facilitated the delivery of significant eco nomic outcomes such as the 
signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and other regional initiatives 
to address and foster recovery from the pandemic.  
4.13.   ASEAN commends Viet Nam’s impressive economic transformation over the past 30 years, 
with recent sustained high growth rates and a steep decline in the poverty rate from above 70% in 
the early 1990s to below 6% in 2019. Its GDP per capita reached over USD 2,700 in 2019, largely 
in part due to the strong and clear vision that the Vie tnamese leadership has instituted, and 
determination in which they have implement ed important market reforms.  
4.14.   We note from the Secretariat’s report that Viet Nam’s economic expansion in recent years 
was underpinned by robust domestic demand and manufacturi ng exports. Since its last Review in 
2013, Viet Nam has further integrated into the world economy, with its ratio of trade to GDP 
increasing from 165% in 2013 to 210% in 2019, which reflects Viet Nam's active participation in 
global value chains (GVC). In 2019, Viet Nam’s exports to ASEAN Member States accounted for 
9.4% of its total exports, while ASEAN accounted for 12.7% of Viet Nam’s imports.  
4.15.   Viet Nam’s trade policies recognize international economic integration as a key driver for its 
institutional imp rovement, economic growth, and development. ASEAN appreciates the importanc e 
Viet Nam attached to its WTO M embership since its accession in 2007. We also recognize Viet Nam’s 
active engagement and commitment to the rules -based multilateral trading system w hich plays a 
central role in its international integration strategy.  
4.16.   Over the review period, Viet Nam actively engaged in various WTO negotiations and regular 
work, including the discussions on WTO  reform and fisheries subsidies  where Viet Nam has been 
constructive in its engagement. Viet Nam also most capably chaired the ASEAN Committee in Geneva 
last year amidst the COVID -19 crisis.  
4.17.   Together with Viet Nam, ASEAN reaffirms our strong commitment to uphold an open, 
inclusive, transparent, non -discriminator y and rules -based multilateral trading system as embodied 
in the WTO.  
4.18.   Some ASEAN Member States have submitted written questions to Viet Nam and we would like 
to express our appreciation in advance for Viet Nam’s written responses.  
4.19.   We would also like to tha nk the delegation in Viet Nam for their constructive engagement and 
commend the co ntribution of H.E. Ambassador Le  Thi Tuyet Mai and the members of the Permanent 
Mission in Geneva for their hard work. We wish Viet Nam a successful second Trade Policy Revie w. 
BRUNEI  DARUSSALAM  
4.20.   Brunei Darussalam associates itself with the ASEAN statement just delivered and reiterates 
the warm welcome to the delegation from Viet Nam and our appreciation for the extensive reports 
provided by the Government of Viet Nam and the W TO Secretariat, and once again thank 
Ambassador Van Daalen  of the Netherlands for her comprehensive summary.  
4.21.   Brunei Darussalam and Viet Nam established diplomatic relations in 1992, and was further 
strengthened in 2019 when our bilateral relations were el evated to a “Comprehensive Partnership”. 
This partnership spans a wide range of areas of cooperation including trade, energy, agriculture and 
fisheries, labour, education, defen se, tourism,  and people -to-people exchanges at the highest level 
on both sides.  Indeed, bilateral trade flows between our two countries have increased in the last five 
years.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.22.   Regionally, as a fellow member of ASEAN, Viet Nam ha s played a leading role in the 
Organiz ation, particularly as Chair of ASEAN last year during a period of unp recedented global 
turmoil with the advent of the global pandemic, COVID -19. Viet Nam was able to skillfully and quickly 
adapt to the evolving norms of international diplomacy, and is an example which Brunei Darussalam 
appreciatively looks up to in our chai rmanship efforts this year.  
4.23.   Viet Nam is also an active international player, having signed and ratified a number of major 
free trade agreements, most notably the RCEP and the CPTPP, both of which Brunei Darussalam is 
also a member of, in line with the goals espoused by Viet Nam’s 8th National Congress to “[build] 
an open economy and [integrate] with the region and the world."  
4.24.   We also share the belief in a fair, open and rules -based multilateral trading system, as 
embodied by the WTO, and supp orted by or ganiz ations such as APEC which Viet Nam also led capably 
in 2017.  
4.25.   It is this strong commitment to international economic integration that has enabled Viet Nam 
to transform over the past 30 years into a strong “lower -middle -income emerging economy”, liftin g 
45 million people out of poverty, and for this we warmly congratulate Viet Nam on its achievements, 
and wish them a successful second  Trade Policy Review. We would also like to commend 
H.E. Ambassador Mai and her team at the Permanent Mission in Geneva o n all their hard work, 
especially in the past year and a half , our warmest congratulations.  
JAPAN  
4.26.   Let me first extend a warm welcome to this second TPR meeting to the distinguished 
delegation of Viet Nam headed by H.E. Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister  of Industry and Trade. 
We sincerely appreciate the dedicated efforts made by Viet Nam and the WTO Secretariat to prepare 
the insi ghtful reports shared with the Members in advance of today's R eview. We are also grateful 
to the d iscussant, H.E. Mrs. Monique  T.G. Van Daalen , Ambassador of the Netherlands, for her 
insightful remarks.  
4.27.   In this review period, Viet Nam’s economy has been steadily developing at the highest level 
among the ASEAN members, although it has been hit by the negative impacts of the COVID -19 
pandemic in 2020. Viet Nam is an important trading partner for Japan. As we are one of Viet Nam’s 
major FDI partners, the number of Japanese companies doing business in the country has been 
increasing. Japan, as the long -standing largest supporting coun try for Viet Nam, will continue to 
provide cooperation toward Viet Nam’s robust and high -quality economic growth.  
4.28.   Viet Nam has concluded EPAs with 15 Members, including our Viet Nam -Japan EPA. We 
acknowledge that Viet Nam has been proactively proceeding wi th RTA negotiations, including the 
CPTPP and the recently signed RCEP. We appreciate Viet Nam’s joining of these high -level EPAs and 
we expect it to implement these EPAs appropriately. We are sure that Viet Nam’s participation in 
these EPAs will help contr ibute to a fairer and more liberalized global economic environment.  
4.29.   When it comes to domestic measures for trade facilitation, Japan commends the reform to 
enhance the customs procedure with the national single  window and the electronic customs 
clearance. However, there is still room for improvements such as enhancement of information about 
the relevant systems and procedures, as well as the uniform interpretation of the HS nomenclature.  
4.30.   As we recognize that the increasing number of counterfeit and pirated  products in Viet Nam 
is a serious issue that also adversely effects our market. We acknowledge Viet Nam is going to 
reform the Intellectual Property Law. We expect this reform will be consistent with the TRIPS 
Agreement. At the same time, we request Viet Nam to consider the introduction of a system that 
would enable private parties to demand disclosure by Internet Service Providers of the identity of 
anonymous senders distributing information that infringes on others’ rights.  
4.31.   In February this year, the Min istry of Public Security issued the Draft Decree on Personal Data 
Protection. We expect the implementation of the Dec ree to be consistent with GATS A rticle 17 and 
other relevant provisions in EPAs such as CPTPP and RCEP. Bearing in mind the importance of a  fair 
competitive environment, Japan would like to underscore that the obligation to store personal data 
in Viet Nam would create a disadvantage for foreign businesses.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.32.   On technical requirements, the requirement for products that are not for sale in the 
Vietnamese market to have labelling written in Vietnamese is imposing additional costs on 
manufacturers. Japan is concerned that this requirement will adversely affect foreign investment. 
We also request that an exemption be provided for this obligation, as it appears to be irrelevant for 
the purpose of consumer protection.  
4.33.   In conclusion, Japan appreciates Viet Nam making this TPR meeting possible in spite of the 
current situation with the pandemic. We wish Viet Nam a successful and productive TPR.  
CANADA  
4.34.   We welcome the opportunity to participate in the second  Trade Policy Review of Viet  Nam.  
4.35.   First, we commend Viet  Nam’s commitment to the WTO and to rules -based trade, particularly 
at this time when daunting economic challenges and post -pandemic recovery effor ts require global 
collaboration. We also commend Viet  Nam on the progress it has made to open its economy and 
welcome foreign investment and trade since its last Trade Policy Review. We are pleased to have 
worked with Viet  Nam within the CPTPP, in the cont ext of APEC, and at the WTO to underscore the 
need for global cooperation on trade. We acknowledge Viet  Nam’s support for the Declaration on 
Facilitating the Movement of Essential Goods and for the Statement on COVID -19 by APEC Ministers 
Responsible for Trade.  
4.36.   Since its last Trade Policy Review, Viet  Nam’s business environment has seen significant 
improvements. According to the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business 2020 Report, Viet  Nam now 
ranks 70th among 190 economies, up from 99th in 201 3. The revision of both the Enterprise Law 
and the Investment Law in July 2015, meant to equalize busine ss conditions for SOEs, 
foreign -invested enterprises, and the domestic private sector, seems to be having the desired 
impacts, including an increase in the number of fields eligible for public -private partnership (PPP) 
projects.  
4.37.   Canada recognizes the significant improvements to Viet  Nam’s business environment over 
recent years. As Viet  Nam strives to further enhance the simplicity, predictability, and tr ansparency 
of its business environment, we would like to highlight a few areas where further action is warranted.  
4.38.   Firstly, while we recognize Viet  Nam’s commitments on government procurement under the 
CPTPP, "Buy National" requirements and other price preference policies remain key elements of 
Viet Nam's government procurement law. We would encourage Viet  Nam to continue modernizing 
its domestic procurement regime and to consider the possibility of acceding to the WTO Agreement 
on Government Procu rement (GPA).  
4.39.   Secondly, we understand that Viet  Nam has made great efforts to facilitate foreign business 
investment to develop Viet  Nam's transportation system and believe it would be beneficial to clarify 
the mechanisms established to facilitate foreign investment in this sector. In addition, we welcome 
the consideration of further exemptions or liberalization of existing requirements for foreign 
investment or participation of foreign service suppliers in order to help with the continued 
development of Vi et Nam’s transportation system.  
4.40.   Thirdly, regarding intellectual property rights, we acknowledge Viet  Nam’s ongoing legislative 
and administrative updates and reforms, such as its progress in addressing online piracy and its 
revised Law on Technology Transf er. We also commend Viet  Nam on its recent work to develop a 
national IP Strategy.  
4.41.   Canada thanks Viet  Nam for its recent efforts in meeting its WTO transparency requirements, 
including its 2014 to 2017 notifications on agriculture domestic support. In add ition, we would 
encourage Viet  Nam to actively participate in the phase II work of the Buenos Aires Declaration on 
Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment. We would also encourage Viet  Nam to participate in 
discussions on e -commerce and services domestic re gulation.  
4.42.   We have submitted written questions that reflect some of the concerns raised today. We look 
forward to Viet  Nam’s responses, and to a constructive exchange of views on all aspects of 
Viet Nam’s trade policy.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  UKRAINE  
4.43.   On behalf of the delegation of  Ukraine, I would like to warmly welcome Deputy Minister Tran 
Quoc Khanh and the entire delegation of Viet Nam.  
4.44.   We would also like to thank WTO Secretariat and the Government of Viet Nam for the 
corresponding reports and express a ppreciate to H.E. Mrs. Mo nique V an Daalen for her meaningful 
analysis.  
4.45.   Ukraine commends Viet Nam for its positive economic performance represented by constant 
GDP growth, rise of GDP per capita, and sharp decline of the poverty rate.  
4.46.   It is important to note that Viet Nam pays dee p attention to processes of international 
economic integration as a key driver for its institutional improvement, economic growth, and 
development.  
4.47.   At a multilateral leve l, Ukraine appreciates Viet Nam’ s viewpoint to support a fair, open and 
rule-based mul tilateral trading system.  
4.48.   In terms of bilateral trade relations, Viet Nam is a prospective trading partner of Ukraine.  
4.49.   In 2020, the Ukrainian -Vietnam ese trade in goods amounted to USD  644.6 million ( ↑ 22.5% 
comparably to 2019). The volume of bilateral tra de in agricultural products amount ed to 
USD 179.6  million in 2020 ( ↑ 79.6%).  
4.50.   Ukraine is interested in further market access improvements and reaffirms readiness for 
enhancing cooperation with Viet Nam, including in the agricultural sector to increase bilateral trade 
and investments.  
4.51.   The reports, prepared by Viet Nam and the WTO Se cretariat, raised questions in a number of  
areas – as detailed in Ukraine’ s written submissions to this Review. The main themes addressed 
were: measures of the Strategy on Exports and Imports for 2011 -20; conditions regarding licences 
and certificates that  might apply to investment; approval procedure of investment projects and the 
role of responsible authorities; operation of the National Investment Information System for Private 
Sector; customs valuation; allocation of quotas for eggs and sugar; import pr ohibitions and import 
licensing requirements; particularities of intellectual property regime; measures taken to reduce 
negative effects of the COVID -19 pandemic , etc. 
4.52.   We are looking forward to receiving  replies  to the outs tanding questions and wish the 
delegati on of Viet Nam a successful TPR.  
CHILE  
4.53.   We extend a warm welcome to the delegation of Viet Nam, headed by the Honourable 
Mr Tran Quoc Khanh, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade.  
4.54.   We also welcome the Mission of Viet Nam to the WTO in Geneva, headed by Ambassador 
Le Thi Tuyet Mai, and Ambassador Van Daalen (Netherlands), who will be discussant of this Review, 
as well as the Secretariat, whom we thank for the report that it has prepared for this exercise.  
4.55.   On 25  March  2021, Viet Nam and Chile celebrated 50  years of diplomatic relations. Our 
country was the second Latin American nation to establish an embassy in that country, which lead 
to a rapprochement between our nations despite the geographical distance separating us.  
4.56.   We have important commonalities tha t unite us, such as the fight against climate change, 
protecting the oceans and environmental conservation.  
4.57.   The friendship between our nations has resulted not only in our country's broad support for 
Viet Nam joining APEC and this House, but also made it p ossible for our nations to sign a free trade 
agreement 10 years ago, Chile being the first country outside ASEAN to conclude a treaty 
independently with Viet Nam. Today, we are CPTPP partners.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.58.   Viet Nam and Chile strongly support the multilateral trading sy stem and the role of the WTO, 
actively participating in the various ongoing negotiations, including those related to prohibitions on 
fisheries subsidies and the Informal Working Group on MSMEs. In my capacity as coordinator of the 
Joint Initiative on Inves tment Facilitation, we would love to have Viet Nam as a participant soon. I 
would therefore like to ask the delegation of Viet Nam if they are in the process of considering such 
a participation and when they expect a decision to be taken.  
4.59.   For this Review, we have raised 10 questions in areas such as adaptation of your forest 
industry, customs procedures and tariff matters, participation in global value chains and gender 
mainstreaming. We are grateful for the responses submitted, which are being analysed by our 
technical teams in capital.  
4.60.   With regard to the reports circulated for this Review, we would like to highlight the progress 
made in Viet Nam's growth rates, despite of the pandemic. In this regard, we see positively that the 
Export and Import Strategy f or 2011 -2020, called "Vision 2030", has borne fruit in the medium term.  
4.61.   We would also like to highlight the various initiatives that Viet Nam is taking to promote 
inclusive trade through its trade policy. In particular, we would like to welcome those progr ammes 
that aim to support enterprises that hire workers with disabilities or a higher proportion of women; 
and the use of public procurement as a tool to promote small and medium -sized enterprises and 
ensure women's employment.  
4.62.   In this regard, it is worth mentioning that during APEC Viet Nam 2017, Viet Nam put inclusive 
and sustainable growth, innovation, SMEs and people in general at the core of its work, all of which 
formed the basis of the initiatives that Chile proposed two years later in APEC Chile 201 9. The year 
hosted by Viet Nam also saw the establishment of the APEC Vision Group, which met for two years 
and delivered its recommendations on the future of APEC after the Bogor goals. I would like to 
highlight the leadership of Ambassador Nga in this pr ocess.  
4.63.   Finally, we are interested in the various initiatives you are undertaking to support the economy 
and counter the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic, including the incentives provided to encourage 
participation in trade by all segments of the population.  
4.64.   We wish Viet Nam a successful review of its trade policy.  
HONG  KONG,  CHINA  
4.65.   I would like to start by extending a warm welcome to Vietnam ese delegation led by the Deputy 
Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh , and also like to thank Ambassador Van Daalen  
of the Netherlands, for sharing with us her insights as discussant and the Secretariat for the 
comprehensive report prepared for this Review .  
4.66.   Hong Kong, China congratulates Viet Nam on its robust growth in exter nal trade, which 
amounted to USD 518 billion in 2019 and was more than six times its value in 2007 when Viet Nam 
joined the WTO.  
4.67.   Hong Kong, China and Viet Nam have long  been enjoying strong bilateral  trade and economic 
relations. Viet Nam was HKC’s 8th largest trading partner in 2020, while HKC was Viet Nam’s 11th 
largest trading partner  and 5th largest export market.  The bila teral trade volume between 
Hong Kong, China a nd Viet Nam  has recorded strong growth, with an average annual growth rate 
of 10% between 2016 and 2020, and a year -on-year increase of 16.7% in 2020.  
4.68.   We look forward to continued growth in our bilateral economic ties in the years to come, 
especially with  the smooth implementation of the ASEAN -HKC Free Trade Agreement and the related 
Investment Agreement since June 2019.  
4.69.   Viet Nam and Hong Kong, China are both staunch supporters of WTO and the rules -based 
multilateral trading system. We welcome opportunitie s to continue to work with Viet Nam and other 
WTO Members to tackle the challenges facing the WTO at a time when responses to the pandemic 
and post -pandemic recovery are urgently required.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.70.   Now let me turn to several specific areas in Viet Nam’s trade polic ies. 
4.71.   First, trade facilitation.  We would commend Viet Nam’s continued effort in re forming its 
custom procedures. For example, Viet Nam has completed and enhanced its customs risk 
management, implemented post -clearance inspection in accordance with internat ional practices, 
implemented the national single window and ASEAN single window, and expanded the application of 
information technology and modern equipment to customs activities.  
4.72.   Viet Nam has also introduced various trade facilitation me asures in respons e to the COVID -19 
pandemic.  These measures include enhanced IT application for customs and goods clearance, 
expedited clearance of goods, reduced physical review of goods, and simplification of customs 
procedures for goods in transit or  transhipment.  We ap plaud Viet Nam’s dedicated efforts in 
facilitating trade amidst this challenging time.  
4.73.   Second, agriculture.  We note that there have not been substantial changes in Viet Nam’s 
average applied MFN tariff on agricultural and non -agricultur al products since th e previous Review. 
At 18.1%, the average applied MFN tariff on agricultural products remains much higher than the 
10.9%  on non -agricultural products. We would encoura ge Viet Nam to further liberaliz e its 
agricultural sector.  
4.74.   Viet Nam has notified the WTO in August 2020 of its 20 -day export quota on ric e amidst the 
COVID -19 pandemic.  We appreciate Viet Nam’s effort in maintaining transparency, as well as its 
restraints in imposing this emergency agricultural measure.  Meanwhile, we also note with concern s 
that Viet Nam has not provided any notification on export subsidies since 2016, and its last 
notification to the WTO on domestic support covers  only up to calendar year 2017.  We would 
encourage Viet Nam to submit the outstanding notifications as soon as practicable.  
4.75.   Lastly on services, while Vie t Nam has continued to liberaliz e trade in services progressively, 
state-owned enterprises still dominate various service sectors including banking and 
telecommunications, and there are six MFN exemptions in place relating to commercial presence, 
audio -visual an d maritime transport services. We would encourage Viet Nam to consider removing 
these MFN exemptions and further promoting free trade and foreign investment in its services 
sectors.  
4.76.   Hong Kong, China would li ke to reiterate our commitment to fostering our economic and trade 
cooperation with Viet Nam, and to collaborating with Viet Nam i n pursuing progressive liberalization 
of international trade. We thank Viet Nam for its replies to some of our written questio ns and look 
forward to receiv ing other outstanding replies. We wish Viet Nam a successful Trade Policy R eview.  
SWITZERLAND  
4.77.   I would like to start by extending a warm welcome to Viet  Nam’s delegation led by H.E. Tran 
Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry a nd Trade. I would al so like to thank Ambassador 
Van Daalen for her valuable observations as a discussant, and the Secretariat for its su bstantive 
contribution to this R eview.  
4.78.   It is a great pleasure for me to take the floor on this occasion, as Viet  Nam an d Switzerland 
are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year. The ties between 
Viet Nam and Switzerland have developed in many areas over time, and we look forward to 
continuing to strengthen them in the future.  
4.79.   Over the last  decades, Viet  Nam has become one of the most open economies in the world. 
It has also performed particularly well in poverty reduction. In 2019, Viet  Nam was one of the fastest 
growing economies globally, with a growth rate of over 7%. Despite the setback  caused by the 
COVID -19 pandemic, Viet  Nam’s economic fundamentals remain solid and its growth prospects are 
good. As highlighted in the report of the Secretariat, Viet  Nam’s proactive measures helped mitigate 
the impact of the pandemic.  
4.80.   Viet Nam has inte grated itself rapidly and steadily in the world economy. It is a priority country 
of Swiss economic and development cooperation, and Switzerland also supported Viet  Nam’s process 
of accession to the WTO. Today, 15 years later, Viet  Nam also takes part in n umerous free trade WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  agreements, including two so -called mega -regional agreements: the CPTPP and the RCEP. This 
network of agreements will undoubtedly further enhance Viet  Nam’s economic integration and enable 
it to consolidate its role as a key player in gl obal value chains.  
4.81.   Viet Nam and Switzerland, together with other EFTA States, are currently negotiating a free 
trade agreement. Viet  Nam is our third largest trading partner in the ASEAN region. Swiss FDI in 
Viet Nam is also significant, with a number of Swiss companies active in various sectors, such as 
machinery, electronics, construction and pharmaceuticals. Building on our strong economic 
relationships, we look forward to a timely conclusion of the negotiations and the future opportunities 
that the agreement will bring about.  
4.82.   During the period under review, Viet  Nam has implemented a number of reforms improving 
the investment and business climate. Noteworthy is the fact that Viet  Nam is embracing digital 
transfo rmation and has defined a number of goals and measures in order to further advance the 
digitalization of its economy and its public sector.  
4.83.   We note with satisfaction that during the period under review, Viet  Nam has modernized its 
intellectual property (I P) system and that the protection of IP has improved significantly. We 
commend Viet  Nam’s efforts to improve its IP regime, while we note with concern the significant 
increase of reported IP infringement cases between 2013 and 2019. Therefore, we encourage  
Viet Nam to continue its efforts towards the improvement of the IP framework and its enforcement.  
4.84.   We would also like to encourage Viet  Nam to further explore the idea of becoming a Party to 
the Government Procurement Agreement in the near future. Members hip to the GPA could be an 
important incentive for Vietnamese enterprises, in particular for small and medium -sized 
enterprises, to increase their export opportunities and reinforce their competitiveness on domestic 
and world markets.  
4.85.   We also welcome the adoption and entry into force of a new law on competition in 2019, which 
significantly reshaped Viet  Nam’s competition regime.  
4.86.   Switzerland has submitted a number of questions in writing ahead of this Trade Policy Review 
and we thank Viet  Nam for its repli es. In particular, we are thankful for the explanations provided 
by Viet  Nam with regard to its applied MFN tariff rates and its measures concerning rice production 
and exports. We also thank Viet  Nam for the information provided in response to our questio ns, 
notably concerning its new competition law, the proposed amendments to the IP law and measures 
in the telecommunications sector.  
4.87.   The reports highlight in many instances Viet  Nam’s impressive achievements, its 
liberalizations efforts and its willingness to pursue reforms, as well as its role as a strong supporter 
of the multilateral trading system. We thank Ambassador Thi Tuyet Mai and the Vietnamese 
delegation for their constru ctive contribution to the work to the WTO. We encourage Viet  Nam to 
continue on this path.  
4.88.   To conclude, we would like to wish Viet  Nam a successful outcome of this Trade Policy R eview.  
NEW  ZEALAND  
4.89.   A very warm welcome to Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh and  his delegation from Ha Noi 
and also to Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai  and her team in Geneva. Thanks to the Secretariat and 
the Government of Viet Nam for the reports and preparations for the second Trade Policy Review, 
and the discussant, Ambassador Van Daa len for her remarks this morning.  
4.90.   New Zealand is fortunate to have a strong and long -standing trading relati onship with 
Viet Nam. In the year to December 2020, Viet Nam was New Zealand’s 14th largest two -way trading 
partner and a key market for New Zealand food and beverage.  
4.91.   New Zealand and Viet Nam are both members of the ASEAN -Australia -New Zealand Free 
Trade Agreement. In 2018, w e both became members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans -
Pacific Partnership, and most recently we signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership 
Agreement. New Zealand is committed to continue working with Viet Nam on the full implementati on WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  of our shared agreements and commitments. As ‘Strategic Partners’, there is real potential for 
further, accelerated trade growth by utilising these commitments which increase market access, 
remove trade barriers, and improve trade facilitation.  
4.92.   New Zeal and and Viet Nam share a commitment to multilat eralism and international law. As 
New Zealand hosts APEC in 2021, we look forward to working with Viet Nam to advance common 
goals across the APEC agenda.  
4.93.   New Zealand commends Viet Nam for the recent work done  to fulfil l previously outstanding 
WTO notification obligations and  encourage further improvement in the Member’s notification 
procedures to av oid future notification delays.  Notifications – including ‘nil’ notifications – are critical 
to the effectiveness  and transparency of the WTO’s monitoring function. As the Director -General has 
indicated and as has been highlighted in the Ottawa Group’s Trade and Health communication to the 
General Council, this is even more important during the COVID -19 crisis. We en courage all Members 
to undertake their best efforts to fulfil l their notification obligations. We acknowledge that this can 
be a resource -intensive process, and encourage Members to seek assistance from the Secretariat if 
required.  
4.94.   New Zealand has raised questions during this review with regards to Viet Nam’s fisheries 
policies. New Zealand notes Viet Nam’s progress in countering Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated 
(IUU) fishing. We are interested to learn more from Viet Nam regarding how it ensures that t hose 
involved in IUU fishing do not benefit from domestic support to the fisheries sector.  
4.95.   New Zealand commends Viet Nam for its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and 
supporting the greater use of renewable energies. New Zealand notes Viet Nam’s Law  on Energy 
Saving and Efficiency and the National Action Plan for Green Growth 2014 -20 which promoted the 
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of clean and renewable sources of energy in a 
wide range of activities in agriculture and industry.  
4.96.   New Zealand commends Viet Nam’s commitment to the rules -based multilateral trading 
system. We acknowledge the progress made by Viet Nam since the last Trade Policy Review and 
welcome the opportunity to be involved in this process. New Zealand looks forwar d to continue 
working with Viet Nam to advance our many common interests across our trade and economic 
relationship.  
MALAYSIA  
4.97.   At the outset, Malaysia wishes to associate ourselves with the ASEAN statement, which was 
delivered by Brunei.  
4.98.   Malaysia is pleas ed to take part in the s econd Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam and would like 
to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Mr Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry and 
Trade and his delegation. We would also like to thank the discussant, H.E. Ambassado r Monique T.G. 
Van Daalen  of the Netherlands, for her comprehensive comments and analysis.  
4.99.   Malaysia would like to commend Viet Nam for its impressive economic perfor mance during 
the period of 2013 -2019 and for its positive economic growth rate of 2.9% in 2 020. It is a remarkable 
achievement amid the COVID -19 pandemic, demonstrating the resilience of Viet Nam’s economy.  
4.100.   Malaysia and Viet Nam share strong ties as ASEAN members. In 2020, Viet Nam was 
Malaysia’s 11th largest global trading partner and 4th larg est trading partner in ASEAN with a total 
trade value of USD  11.64 billion. Although trade with Viet Nam in 2020 decreased by 11.2% from 
USD 13.27 billion in 2019, we are optimistic that the bilateral trade will recover once the pandemic 
comes under contro l. We would also like to highlight that as of September 2020, a total of four 
manufacturing projects were approved in Malaysia with total investments worth USD  4.67 million.  
4.101.   At the multilateral front, we applaud Viet Nam’s strong efforts in adhering to th e various 
WTO Agreements, for example, in ratifying the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2015. We also 
appreciate Viet Nam’s active and constructive participation in the discussions at the Cairns Group 
and the Joint Statement Initiative on micro, small and medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs). Malaysia 
would also like to commend Viet Nam’s serious efforts towards trade liberalization by concluding and WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  ratifying various FTAs such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement 
(RCEP).  
4.102.   Malaysia h as submitted written questions on areas such as investment, government 
procurement and trade promotion measures. Malaysia also looks forward to obtaining further 
clarifications regarding the anti dumping  and safeguard measures implemented by Viet Nam during  
the review period and specific rules and regulations governing the timber and furniture industry.  
4.103.   We would also like to thank Ambassador Le  Thi Tuyet Mai and her able team for their 
constructive engagement and contribution. We appreciate Viet Nam for the responses,  and we shall 
examine these responses with great interest.  
SINGAPORE  
4.104.   The Singapore delegation  warmly  welcomes Deputy Mini ster of Industry and Trade, 
His Excellency Mr . Tran Quoc Khanh, and our Vietnamese colleagues participating virtually from 
Hanoi. We thank Viet  Nam fo r the comprehensive government report and s tatement , we commend 
the excellent work of the Mission under the leadership of Ambassador Mai. We also thank the TPRB 
Chair, Ambassador Athaliah Molokomme, the Secretariat , and the discussant, Ambassador Monique 
Van Daalen of the Netherlands, for their insightful perspectives. Allow me to make three points.  
4.105.   First, Singapore commends Viet  Nam for its impressive achievements in developing its 
economy and weathering the COVID -19 pandemic. Viet  Nam continued to sharply reduce its poverty 
rate and has made great strides in alleviating hunger and illiteracy. Economic growth has been 
consistent and robust, reaching a 10 -year high of 7.1% in 2018. Viet  Nam has also responded deftly 
to the challenges of the COVID -19 pandemic by implementing proactive measures at the national 
and local levels. In addition to adopting swift measures to contain the spread of the virus, Viet  Nam 
introduced a series of fiscal measures and incentives to rep lace lost income and boost growth. These 
included a fiscal support package, fee cuts, tax payment deferrals and deductions, and financial 
incentives for employers and employees. As a result, economic recovery is forecasted to be 2.5% in 
2020. Viet  Nam also  temporarily eliminated applied MFN tariffs on medical and certain personal 
protective equipment and did not introduce measures relating to import prohibitions, restrictions, 
and licensing in response to the pandemic. These actions reflect Viet  Nam’s commi tment to keeping 
supply chains open.  
4.106.   Second, the long -standing and multi -faceted relations between Singapore and Viet  Nam 
continue to grow from strength to strength. Viet  Nam is Singapore’s 10th largest trading partner. 
Bilateral trade has grown steadily over the past decade, doubling to S$22.7 billion in 2020. Singapore 
was also the largest source of foreign investment into Viet  Nam in 2020, with cumulative investments 
by the end of 2020 making Singapore the third  largest foreign investor over the past 10  years. 
Despite global economic uncertainties, Singapore companies continue to see Viet  Nam as an 
attractive investment destination. Singapore’s largest FDI contribut ion in Viet Nam in 2020 was a 
USD 4 billion power production project in the Mekong Delta, which will create thousands of jobs and 
spur economic development in that region.  
4.107.   Third, on the regional front, Viet  Nam has continued to play an active role in ASEAN’s efforts 
to deepen economic integration. We congratulate Viet Nam for its successful AS EAN Chairmanship 
in 2020, amidst the challenging circumstances arising from the pandemic. During Viet  Nam’s 
Chairmanship, ASEAN members signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) 
Agreement, which is now the largest trade bloc in history.  ASEAN also took concrete steps to promote 
trade facilitation and supply chain connectivity, which was critical to the continued flow of essential 
goods during the pandemic. As ASEAN Chairman, Viet  Nam also introduced various initiatives in the 
digital spa ce, such as on cybersecurity intelligence cooperation and a pan -ASEAN roaming charge 
for mobile phones. We have confidence that Viet  Nam will continue to support ASEAN’s efforts to 
develop a digitally integrated region through collaborations on e -commerce,  cross-border data flows, 
cybersecurity and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this context, we encourage Viet  Nam to join 
the JSI on E -Commerce.  
4.108.   Viet Nam has been an active and constructive Member of the WTO, participating in 
discussions on systemic issues, including WTO reform. We are heartened that during the review 
period, Viet  Nam acceded to the Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) and ratified the amendment WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  of the TRIPS Agreement. We look forward to learning more at this TPR about key i ssues such as 
transparency in its investment regime, the scientific basis and risk assessment of its Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary standards for meat and meat products, and the review of its applied shipping fees and 
surcharges.  
4.109.   Singapore looks forward to co ntinue strengthening our cooperation with Viet  Nam at all 
levels. We are confident that Viet  Nam will continue its positive economic development trajectory 
and wish Viet  Nam every success for its second  TPR. 
MEXICO 
4.110.   Mexico warmly welcomes the delegation of Viet Nam, headed by Mr  Tran Quoc Khanh, 
Vice Minister of Industry and Trade. I also thank Ambassador Monique Van Daalen (Netherlands) for 
her thorough analysis, and the WTO Secretariat for its hard work in preparing  this report.  
4.111.   Mexico acknowledges Viet Nam's outstanding economic performance during the review 
period, as well as the proactive measures taken by the Government to address the COVID -19 
pandemic, ensuring that, despite the weakening of international trade,  value chains did not lose 
momentum. This was reflected in an enviable GDP growth of 2.5% in 2020.  
4.112.   Similarly, Mexico congratulates Viet Nam on its decisive step in significantly reducing its 
poverty rate from over 70% in the early 1990s to less than 6% in 2019. Certainly an outstanding 
economic achievement by any standard.  
4.113.   Viet Nam is our twelfth trading partner, and we expect our trade and investment exchanges 
to strengthen in the coming years through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for 
Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to which we are both party.  
4.114.   With regard to WTO -related issues, during the period under review, counterfeiting and 
piracy, both in the physical and online markets in Viet Nam, continue to be of major concern, 
especially with rega rd to software, music, films, books and magazines, pharmaceuticals, pesticides 
and consumer goods.  
4.115.   However, it is important to highlight the process of modernization that Viet Nam has 
undergone in its intellectual property system, such as the National Inte llectual Property Strategy 
with Visions to 2030, through which it is seeking to strengthen judicial enforcement, including 
criminal investigation. This strategy will surely yield good results for the protection of intellectual 
property rights, which will r eflect positively on domestic and international trade.  
4.116.   Mexico welcomes that the number of wholly state -owned enterprises in Viet Nam has 
decreased from 1,309 at the end of 2011 to 487 at the end of 2019. However, our attention is drawn 
to the fact that the  number remains high, even more so when considering that the banking sector 
is dominated by state -owned commercial banks.  
4.117.   Regarding agricultural tariffs, although all tariffs are bound and range between 0% and 40%, 
it is important to highlight the high lev el of average MFN tariffs for agricultural products, which was 
18.1% in 2020. It is also important to note that these are almost twice the average for 
non-agricultural products.  
4.118.   Furthermore, Mexico congratulates Viet Nam on its Master Plan on Fisheries Dev elopment 
through 2020, Vision to 2030, which aims to turn fisheries into a highly productive sector. In this 
regard, it would be important for this Plan to guarantee the sustainability of fisheries in order to 
contribute to the conservation of marine resou rces and ensure it is in line with any possible 
commitments of this Organization.  
4.119.   To conclude, we recognize the great work that Viet Nam has undertaken in attracting Foreign 
Direct Investment (FDI), growing from a cumulative amount of USD  81.8 billion in 2 013 to 
USD 161 billion in 2019, contributing to a significant share of production in different sectors and 
creating employment for more than 5  million people.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.120.   Finally, we thank Viet Nam for the responses provided to the questions raised by my 
delegation an d wish it every success in this review.  
CHINA  
4.121.   China warmly welcomes the delegation of Viet Nam, led by H.E. Deputy Minister Khanh, to 
the second Trade Policy Revi ew and would like to thank the d iscussant, Ambassador Van Daalen  for 
her insightful comments a nd guiding questions. Many thanks also go to you, Chair , and the 
Secretariat for the efforts to make this Review happen.  
4.122.   China would like to congratulate Viet Nam on its development achievements. The poverty 
rate of Viet Nam declined sharply from above 70%  in the early 1990s to below 6% in 2019. The 
economy grew at an average rate of 6.6% between 2014 and 2018 and reached a 10 -year high of 
7.1% in 2018.  
4.123.   China and Viet Nam are close neighbours  and enjoy long and traditional economic 
relationship. According to China’s statistics, till the year 2020 , China had been Viet Nam’s biggest 
trading partner for 16 consecutive years. Despite the challenge of the COVID -19, trade volume 
increased by 18.7% in the year 2020 reaching USD 192 billion, which is strong evidence of close 
and robust bilateral economic ties between the two countries. Viet Nam is China’s biggest trading 
partner among ASEAN countries.  
4.124.   The engagement in the multilateral trading system has also p layed an important role in 
Viet Nam’s fast develo pment. China commends Viet Nam’s deeper engagement in WTO activities. In 
particular, we noted that Viet Nam submitted its instruments of acceptance for the WTO Agreement 
on Trade Facilitation in December 2015, and for the amendment of  the TRIPS Agreement i n 
January  2017. China also commends Viet Nam for its active effort in boosting trade and investment 
with partners through RTAs, including the most recently signed Regional Comprehensive Economic 
Partnership.  
4.125.   In the meantime, China is expecting Viet Nam to play a more active role in the WTO and we 
encourage Viet Nam to join the Investment Facilitation and other Joint Statement Initiatives, which 
we believe would further promote Viet Nam’s development.  
4.126.   It is also applaudable that Viet Nam continues to improve  its trade and investment 
environment by various means, including substantially updating investment regime and active 
participation in regional trade agreements. For example, the general cap of 49% for foreign 
acquisition of public companies operating in u nconditional sectors was abolished in 2015.  
4.127.   China applauds these achievements and believes that Viet Nam is just another good example 
of economic success boosted by the accession to the WTO, domestic reforms and trade liberalization.  
4.128.   Having said that, Chin a encourages Viet Nam to further improve its trade and investment 
policies and measures. On investment regime, concerns have been raised about unequal treatment 
towards foreign investors, difficult and time -consuming approval process for investment and 
establishment of businesses, as well as un -coordinated implementation of laws and regulations by 
responsible government agencies.  
4.129.   It is also noted that foreign participation in some sectors remains capped at levels between 
30% and 51%. China would like to en courage Viet Nam to take more proactive actions to facilitate 
foreign investment.  
4.130.   For the purpose of this review, China has submitted questions to Viet Nam covering mainly 
foreign investment regime and trade policies and we thank Viet Nam for the response . 
4.131.   Finally, we sincerely hope this Trade Policy R eview a great success.  
THE SEPARATE  CUSTOMS  TERRITORY  OF TAIWAN,  PENGHU,  KINMEN  AND  MATSU  
4.132.   On behalf of my delegation, I would first like to extend a warm welcome to the Viet Nam 
delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Tra de, Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, for it s second  Trade WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  Policy Review. I would also like to exp ress our sincere thanks to the discussant, Ambassador 
Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen , for her in -depth discussion, as well as the WTO Secr etariat for their 
hard work in preparing the reports.  
4.133.   Over the past 30 years, Viet Nam has achieved a remarkable economic success by greatly 
reducing its poverty rate from above 70% in the early 1990s to below 6% in 2019. Today, Viet Nam 
has become a lowe r-middle -income emerging economy. Its success builds on its further integration 
into the world economy, with its ratio of trade to GDP increasing from 165% in 2013 to 210% in 
2019. Despite the weakened demand and reduced trade resulted from the COVID -19, V iet Nam has 
adopted proactive measures to maintain the momentum in its main exporting sectors. In particular, 
Viet Nam has introduced a series of fiscal measures and incentives such as a fiscal support package 
equivalent to 3.6% of GDP, fee cuts and tax pa yment deferrals, to replace lost income and boost 
growth.  
4.134.   On its participation in the multilateral trading system, Viet Nam has been very active in the 
WTO. In 2015, Viet Nam submitted its instruments of acceptance for the WTO Agreement on Trade 
Facilitat ion. In 2017, Viet Nam further approved the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement. Being a 
strong believer of the WTO dispute settlement body, Viet Nam has initiated 5 complaints during the 
review period. In line with consumer electronics as its main exporting sector, Viet Nam also 
participates in the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).  
4.135.   On the bilateral front, we have enjoyed strong economic ties with Viet Nam over the past 
three decades. We are Viet Nam’s fourth largest foreign investor and its fifth large st trading partner. 
Last year, the value of bilateral trade between us amounted to USD 21 billion, accounting for 3.85% 
of Viet Nam’s total foreign trade. From 1988 to 2018, we have invested in Viet Nam over 
USD 31.4 billion and around 80% of our investmen t was related to manufacturing. At the end of 
2019, we updated our Bilateral Investment Agreement, which will certainly further strengthen our 
bilateral economic cooperation.  
4.136.   With Viet Nam’s sound economic development and outlook, we would like to further  
encourage Viet Nam in the following areas. We suggest Viet Nam to consider joining the expansion 
of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA 2) to further boost its IT sectors. By adhering to the 
high standards E -Commerce requirements of CPTPP, Viet Nam may also consider participating in the 
Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e -commerce.  
4.137.   In conclusion, we commend Viet Nam on its achievements and the way forward. We look 
forward to continuing to deepen our bilateral economic and trade relations. We wish Viet Nam a ve ry 
successful and constructive R eview.  
ARGENTINA  
4.138.   We would like to associate ourselves with the Members who have already welcomed the 
delegation of Viet Nam, headed by H.E.  Tran Quoc Khanh, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade of 
Viet Nam. We e xtend our appreciation to the work of its Ambassador to this House, H.E.  Le Thi Tuyet 
Mai, and to the discussant, Ambassador Van Daalen of the Netherlands, for her insightful reflections.  
4.139.   Viet Nam is one of the Argentina's most important trading partners. In 2019, it ranked sixth 
in terms of global bilateral trade and fifth in terms of exports for our country. In 2020 alone, imports 
from Viet Nam to our country increased by 14.6%, which ill ustrates our healthy trade links. We 
export mainly food and cereals to Viet Nam. From Viet Nam, we import machinery, electrical 
equipment, footwear, mechanical appliances and clothing.  
4.140.   Argentina welcomes Viet Nam's economic growth, which in 2018 reached th e highest figure 
recorded in a decade. This economic growth, which exceeds the period under review and covers an 
almost uninterrupted period over the last 30 years, has allowed Viet Nam to become an emerging 
lower middle -income economy; which has been refl ected in a significant improvement in the quality 
of life of its population.  
4.141.   Our country is pleased to note that economic growth in recent years has been due to the 
increase in domestic demand and manufacturing exports, as reflected in figure 1.2 of the 
Secretariat's report. It is notable in this regard that, during the period under review, manufacturing WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  exports have doubled. We believe that greater development of the physical transport infrastructure 
could contribute even further to Viet Nam's strong econo mic performance.  
4.142.   Equally commendable are Viet Nam's efforts to address the COVID -19 pandemic, in 
particular through a series of fiscal measures and incentives adopted by its government. Particularly 
noteworthy in the various measures listed in box 1.1. of the Secretariat's report are tax reductions, 
tax deferrals and tax deductions.  
4.143.   With regard to trade policy itself, our country would like to highlight the implementation of 
Viet Nam's Customs Development Strategy. Under this strategy, the Customs Law of 20 15 was 
adopted. We are confident that this and other similar measures will help to simplify customs 
procedures and requirements in the country. We are also confident that the early acceptance of the 
Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2015, and especially the final implementation of category A, B and 
C commitments by 2025, will further strengthen Viet Nam's trade regime.  
4.144.   For this trade policy review, we have submitted questions to Viet Nam related, inter alia, to 
the benefits granted under the so -called eco -industrial parks, the possibility of applying specific or 
compound import duties on products considered sensitive and their customs valuation regime. We 
thank Viet Nam in advance for its replies, which will be forwarded to our authorities in Buenos Aires.  
4.145.   In closing, we would like to wish the Vietnamese authorities a successful conclusion to this, 
their second trade policy review.  
UNITED  STATES  
4.146.   It is my pleasure and honour to warmly welcome Viet Nam’s delegation led by Vice Minister 
Khanh, and we appreciate th e reports prepared by the WTO Secreta riat and the Government of 
Viet Nam for Viet Nam’s second Trade Policy Review (TPR).  
4.147.   Viet Nam is an important economic partner of the United States, and our bilateral trade 
relationship has deepened significantly since  Viet Nam’ s accession to the WTO in 2007.  In 2019, 
U.S. goods and services two -way trade with Viet Nam totalled  an estimated USD  81.3 billion. The 
United States continues to work closely with Viet Nam through our Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement to  strengthen our bilateral trade relationship and address priority issues.  
4.148.   The United States re cognizes the importance of WTO M embership to Viet Nam and 
appreciates its express ion of support for WTO reforms.  We appreciate the leadership Viet Nam’s 
Ambassado r and Mission here continue to play in supporting the regular work of WTO Committees 
and in active negotiations and would encourage Viet Nam to take an even more prominent role here 
in the WTO. We commend Viet Nam for its continued economic reforms, includ ing improvements to 
its legal fram ework, since the previous TPR. We would like to use the review today to highlight some 
of those areas, and to also identify and raise certain areas in which the Government of Viet Nam 
could make further improvements and im plement additional reforms.  
4.149.   The United States welcomes efforts by Viet Nam to fully implement the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement, beginning with the establishment of Viet Nam’s National  Trade Facilitation 
Committee. We note with interest Viet Nam’s partn ership with the Global Alliance for Trade 
Facilitation to develop a modern customs bond system for the conditional releas e of goods. Once in 
place, Viet N am will be the first country in Asia wit h such a comprehensive system. With support 
from USAID’s Trade  Facilitation Project, Viet Nam is now regularly reviewing its progress to 
implement its TFA category B and C commitments and is developing a forward -looking plan to ensure 
timely  notifications. We would urge Viet Nam to consider joining the WTO Communicat ion entitled, 
Supporting the Timely and Efficient Release of Global Goods Through Accelerated Implementation 
of the WTO Trade Facili tation Agreement (G/TFA/W/25). A Rev. 4 will be issued in the near term 
and we welcome Viet Nam joining the United States an d the 14 other co sponsors  in making this 
important statement.  
4.150.   The United States also recognizes that Viet Nam has issued a number of measures to address 
origin fraud and illegal tran sit of goods through Viet Nam. We would appreciate an update on these 
measures and other actions taken by Viet Nam to address these issues.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.151.   The United States notes the importance Viet  Nam has placed in advancing its digital economy 
in support of its broader growth and development goals . However, we have significant concerns with 
certain existing and proposed measures that may undermine the provision of services foundational 
to this digital future, which are frequently provided on a cross -border ba sis. For example, Viet  Nam’s 
Ministry of  Public Security has issued a draft implementing decree for the Law on Cybersecurity that 
includes data localization and local presence requirements, and has recently released a draft Decree 
on Personal Data Protection that appears to replicate and expand the scope of data localizations 
requirements  We also are concerned that draft revisions to the Ministry of Information and 
Communications (MIC) Decree 6 on the Management, Provision, and Use of Radio and Television 
Services would impose significant new res trictions on legitimate on -demand suppliers of such 
programming. The United States would appreciate updates from Viet Nam on  the status of these 
measures. We also note that Viet Nam maintains a local -agent requirement for cross -border 
advertising services,  and that in 2020, MIC issued a revised draft of Decree 181 on Advertising 
Services that would remove Viet Nam’s local -agent requirement. The United States would appreciate 
an update on the status of this revised draft.  
4.152.   In the area of agricultural trade, we would like to note that Viet Nam and the United States 
are both cosponsors of the proposed MC12 SPS Declaration and Work Program. We have sincerely 
appreciated Viet Nam’s active engagement and partnership in this initiative.  
4.153.   The United States has concer ns regarding SPS measures maintained b y Viet Nam that 
restrict trade.  We have posed a number of questions on food  safety, pre -clearance and 
post-clearance inspections, animal health, maximum residue limits, pesticides, as well as the risk 
assessment and th e propos ed domestic ban for glyphosate.  We look forward to receiving and 
reviewing Viet Nam’s responses.  As was the case in the previous TPR, the United States continues 
to encourage Viet Nam to provide notifications required by the SPS Agreement at an ear ly stage to 
ensure a reasonable period of time for consideration of comments prior to finalizing laws  and 
implementing regulations. We also would like to stress the importance of Viet Nam responding to 
official comments submitted by the United States.  
4.154.   We recognize efforts by the Government of Viet Nam to strengthen elements of its 
intellectual property regime, including efforts to amend the Law on Intellectual Property and 
continuing public awareness campa igns and training activities.  However, the United S tates continues 
to have several concerns, including Viet Nam’s heavy reliance on administrative enforcement 
actions, lack of coordination among ministries and agencies responsible for enforcement, and 
widespread co unterfeiting and online piracy.  We would a ppreciate updates on Viet Nam’s plans to 
further strengthen its IP framework, including through upcoming revisions to the IP Law, and 
enhanced enforcement efforts.  
4.155.   The United States also recognizes Viet Nam’s active engagement in the fisheries subsidies 
negotiations, and we welcome working together with Viet Nam and other Members to a chieve a 
meaningful agreement. As a party to CPTPP, Viet Nam has already adopted fis heries subsidies 
disciplines and we recognize Viet Nam’s efforts to reform its subsidy programs and prohibit the most 
harmful fisheries subsidies.  
4.156.   We appreciate the opportunity provided by this meeting to discuss Viet Nam’s trade and 
investment policies. We are closely reviewing the responses we have received, and would like to 
note that at this time we have not yet received responses to all our advance written questions. We 
look forward to Viet Nam’s responses to our questions, to working together to reso lve outstanding 
issues and further strengthen our bilateral relationship, and to continued good cooperation here at 
the WTO and in ASEAN, APEC, and other fora.  
AUSTRALIA  
4.157.   Viet Nam’s economic growth over the past three de cades is a great success story.  Since  
reforms in the 1980s, it has evolved from a low -income, closed agricultural economy with heavy 
state involvement to a dynamic, mixed economy  with a growing private sector.  The country has 
ascended from being one of Asia’s poorest to middle -income status, lifting 45 million people out of 
poverty. Viet Nam’s strong public health response to COVID -19 also allowed its economy to continue 
to grow despite the pandemic in 2020 – one of the few countries in the world to do so.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.158.   Australia encourages Viet Nam to con tinue the process of trade policy reform and looks 
forward to continuing our support for Viet Nam’s efforts to develop its economy further, as well as 
its greater integration into the global trading system. Australia welcomes the commitment expressed 
in Viet Nam’s TPR Report to its involvement in regional and multilateral trade institutions. A more 
prosperous and confident Viet Nam will improve the quality of life of its citizens, contribute to 
regional security, and become an even more significant export m arket and trading partner for 
Australia.  
4.159.   Australia recogniz es that in many areas a maturation of Viet Nam’s relevant policy and 
institutional settings has taken place. This is reflected in areas such as: fiscal consolidation and the 
pursuit of a more stabl e monetary policy; improvements in Viet  Nam’s foreign in vestment 
framework; and moderniz ation of its competition policy. Australia notes Viet  Nam has reduced the 
degree of state involvement in some important sectors of the economy, and considers this will 
provide a valuable boost for efficiency and productivity. But we note the extent of state control of 
the economy remains extensive. Changes in Viet Nam’s intellectual property and government 
procurement policies taken pursuant to membership of the CPTPP wi ll also be positive and Australia 
looks forward to these developments.  
4.160.   We note Viet  Nam’s steady pursuit of its economic integration agenda through its 
Membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO), ASEAN and APEC. Given the importance of 
agricultural t rade to both of our economies, Australia values Viet Nam’s positive contribution, 
including through its Membership of the Cairns Group, to continuing agricultural trade reform. We 
look forward to working with Viet Nam in the leadup to MC12 to achieve a mea ningful outcome on 
agriculture, in particular on domestic support.  
4.161.   Services trade is of increasing importance to Viet Nam’s economy. Viet Nam has recently 
taken on comprehensive services domestic regulation commitments in RCEP. We encourage  
Viet Nam to join the WTO Services Domestic Regulation Joint Statement Initiative ( JSI). This JSI will 
provide greater certainty to global service providers and help support Viet Nam’s long -term economic 
growth.  
4.162.   Australian businesses and importers have reported Viet Nam’s implementation of trade 
commitments, such as acceptance of digita l certificates of origin under the CPTPP, has been 
inconsistent. More broadly, customs procedures when inconsistently applied have acted as 
constraints to trade. These kinds of border clearance barriers affect a variety of traders, particularly 
through bio security and related certification issues. Australia encourages Viet Nam to fully implement 
its commitments under  all trade agreements.  
4.163.   Australia welcomes  Viet Nam joining the Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2015, and notes 
the steps Viet  Nam has taken al ready to implementing the agreement. We look forward to Viet  Nam 
finaliz ing implementation of all com mitments by 2025 as scheduled. We note Viet  Nam’s participation 
in the Information Technology Agreement, and would encourage it to consider joining the 
agreement’s expansion.  
4.164.   Australia also looks forward to working with Viet Nam and all other AANZFTA parties on the 
AANZFTA upgrade negotiations – the upgrade presents an opportunity to enhance economic 
integration and maximiz e the agreement’s contribution to t he region’s economic recovery.  
4.165.   Digital trade is contributing an increasing amount to global economic growth. Viet Nam has 
made important commitments in its FTAs to support digital trade, including to support business and 
traders through cross -border data flows. Australia encourages Viet Nam to continue to support this 
important area of trade by ensuring a supportive regulatory environment and through full 
implementation of its FTA commitments into the future.  
4.166.   A further reduction in trade barriers will be a n important part of Viet Nam’s domestic 
economic reform process, strengthening trade and competitiveness and supporting further 
integration into global value chains and long -term economic growth. Continuing structural reform of 
the economy is essential if Viet Nam is to reali ze its full potential.  
4.167.   Let me conclude by wishing Viet Nam and its delegation all the very best for its Trade Policy 
Review and we look forward to continuing working with Viet Nam into the future.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  BRAZIL  
4.168.   Brazil extends a warm welcome t o the delegation of Viet Nam, headed by Deputy Minister 
Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh and to the Vietnamese team in Geneva. I also thank you, Chair, for the very 
useful introduction, and the discussant, Ambassador Van Daalen  for her very thoughtful comme nts, 
as well  as the Secretariat  for its report.  
4.169.   The importance placed by Brazil to this Trade Policy Review is reflected in the number of 
questions submitted to Viet Nam – 42 in total  – ranging from SPS matters to t elecommunications;  
from market access to civil aviation policies.  
4.170.   Brazil appreciates and shares Viet Nam’s interest in the last few years to deepen economic 
and commercial ties between our two countries.  
4.171.   In 2020, in spite of the COVID -19 pandemic, bilateral trade grew by 0 .3%, i n excess of 
USD 4.5 billion, an historic record.  
4.172.   For the second year in a row, Viet Nam is Brazil’s main ASEAN trade partner and since 2020 
16th biggest trade partner worldwide.  
4.173.   The first months of 2021 have confirmed the upward trend in bilateral trade, with an 
impressive 3.7% increase in relation to the same period of 2020.  
4.174.   With regard to investments, we believe there is significant room for expansion. There are at 
least three Brazilian companies operating in Viet Nam and we expect and welcome Vi etnamese FDI 
in Brazil.  
4.175.   Turning to the civil aviation sector, my delegation notes with satisfaction several points of 
convergence between modernization practices in Viet Nam and in Brazil, in the direction of more 
liberalization and openness to foreign in vestment, as well as in rules for airport infrastructure 
concession processes.  
4.176.   As we aim for further expansion of our bilateral trade flows, Brazil looks forward to engaging 
constructively with Vietnamese authorities to find solutions for the opening of th eir market to some 
Brazilian agricultural products.  
4.177.   Brazil is hopeful bilateral talks will be held without undue delay and in a transparent manner, 
compatible with our mutual goal to fulfill the potential for growth of our bilateral trade and economic 
relations, for the common benefit of our producer and consumers.  
4.178.   Let me conclude by wishing Viet Nam a very successful and productive Trade Policy Review.  
EUROPEAN  UNION  
4.179.   On behalf of the European Unio n, I would like to welcome the d elegation of Viet Nam led by 
Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade. I would also like to thank the WTO 
Secretariat and the Government of Viet Nam for their reports, which form the basis for our discussion 
today. Let me exten d also our appreciation to the d iscussant, H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen 
(Netherlands) for giving us her views on the country’s main trade features.  
4.180.   The EU welcomes this opportunity to discuss developments in Viet Nam’s trade policies and 
practices since its fir st WTO Trade Policy Review in 2013.  
4.181.   Viet Nam is a dynamic emerging country and has become one of the EU's main partners in 
Southeast Asia. The impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on trade is being felt across the globe, and 
Viet Nam is no exception.  
4.182.   Since 19 86, impressive reforms have been carried out towards a more market -oriented 
economy,  with further transformation still ongoing. EU -Viet Nam relations have developed 
significantly, which the recent EU -Viet Nam trade agreement is further consolidating. EU -Viet Nam 
trade flows have increased exponentially from 2014 to 2018, from EUR 24,9 billion to WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  EUR 42,8 billion , respectively, making Viet Nam the second big gest trading partner in ASEAN. The 
year 2019 has reconfirmed this trend with a trade balance of  EUR 45,5 billion.  
4.183.   During the period under review, Viet Nam’s economy has been strong, with an a verage 
annual GDP growth of 6.6 % between 2014 and 2018. Robust domestic demand, export -oriented 
manufacturing and foreign direct investment have supported Viet Nam’s e conomic transformation 
and expansion. The services sector is the main contributor to both GDP (about 46% in 2019) and 
employment (about 35% of the labour force), while manufacturing activities are growing and 
agriculture, forestry and fishing activities re main important.  
4.184.   The EU commends Viet Nam's strong commitment to the multilateral trading system. The 
EU welcomes Viet Nam's ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2015 and the amendment 
of the TRIPS Agreement in January 2017. We also note som e positive developments toward a more 
stable and sustainable business environment with Viet Nam’s revision of the Enterprise Law, the 
Investment Law and the adoption of a new Investment framework for public -private -partnerships 
(PPPs). The EU encourages Vi et Nam to consider becoming a Party to the plurilateral Agreement on 
Government Procurement.  
4.185.   In the WTO, in addition to the multilateral negotiations on fisheries subsidies, the EU works 
with Viet Nam on micro, small, and medium -sized enterprises. The EU calls on Viet Nam to 
participate in the Joint Statement Initiatives on e -commerce, investment facilitation for 
development, and domestic regulation in services, which cons titute an important and 
forward -looking agenda for international trade and WTO.  
4.186.   With reference to our bilateral relationship, the EU -Viet Nam Framework Agreement on 
Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation (PCA) marked the EU's commitment to strengthen and 
broaden the scope of the mutually beneficial partnership with Viet  Nam (entered int o force in 2016). 
For years, Viet Nam has benefited cons iderably from the EU's Generaliz ed Scheme of Preferences 
(GSP), which has facilitated expansion of Vietnamese exports to the EU market. Recently, the EU 
and Viet Nam Trade Agreement entered into force  on 1 August 2020 and an Investment Protection 
Agreement was signed in 2019. The broad scope of the trade agree ment leads to a strengthened 
cooperation between the EU and Viet  Nam in a very high number of areas. We also work closely with 
Viet Nam in the context of the EU -ASEAN Cooperation Agreement with the goal to ensure an effective 
environment for trade and investment relations.  
4.187.   The EU would also like to highlight a few chall enges, some related to the questions we 
addressed earlier. The EU encourages Viet Nam to continue on the path to reform its state sector. 
We attach importance to a transparent and accelerated process where state -owned enterprises after 
being transformed, c an and will function in heed to market forces on an equal footing with other 
economic operators.  
4.188.   We also call on Viet Nam to ensure that pharmaceutical products, which account for an 
important part of the EU trade flows with Viet Nam, can be placed on the  Vietnamese market in 
conformity with international standards.  
4.189.   In addition, we encourage Viet Nam to strengthen its attempts to combat fraud, corruption 
and illicit trade.  
4.190.   Finally, on behalf of the EU, I wish the delegation of Viet Nam a successful TPR.  
COLOMBIA  
4.191.   We would like to welcome the distinguished delegation of Viet Nam, which is here with us 
today, headed by the Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr  Tran Quoc Khanh, and its Ambassador, 
Dr Le Thi Tuyet Mai. We would also like to thank the Secretar iat for the report and 
Ambassador  Monique T.  G. Van Daalen (the Netherlands) for her relevant contributions.  
4.192.   Since implementing the process of reform towards the "Doi Moi" controlled opening up, 
Viet Nam has shown an exemplary economic performance that has  been sustained for more than 
three decades. The most important achievement to note was undoubtedly the reduction of its 
poverty rate from 70% in the early 1990s to under 6% in 2019. This victory is due, inter alia, to WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  sustained economic growth which, for much of the period under review in this report, averaged 
6.6%, and even remained positive at 2.5% during 2020 despite the global health crisis.  
4.193.   Viet Nam is also an example of how to tackle the pandemic from an open economy. The 
country recognizes the impor tance of the export sector as a driver of development and has achieved 
a strong integration into global value chains in areas such as clothing, and especially consumer 
electronics, where around 85% of imports during 2019 were intermediate goods, while 44% of 
exports of these products were final consumer goods destined for the markets of the United States 
of America, the United Arab Emirates and Austria.  
4.194.   The COVID -19 global containment measures affected the Vietnamese economy due to its 
high level of global integration. However, preliminary figures for 2020 show that the country has not 
lost momentum and this is mainly due to the Government's fiscal support measures, tax rate 
reductions and tax deferrals, as well as financial incentives offered to employers a nd employees.  
4.195.   The response to the pandemic reiterates the prominent role of the Government of Viet Nam 
in all aspects of its economy. It is for this reason that the Secretariat's report describes its economy 
as "dualistic," where centralized government pla nning coexists with an extensive free -market 
incentive system. Several decades ago, the Vietnamese Government initiated a process of economic 
restructuring to eliminate disparities between the State and the private sector, with significant but 
inconclusive  results.  
4.196.   A significant step towards improving this situation of inequality between the different 
economic operators was to update the investment regime. With this measure, foreign -invested 
enterprises, public enterprises and the domestic private sector so ught to even out the unlevel playing 
field in which they operate. The number of areas restricted to foreign investment was reduced, the 
number of sectors in which Public -Private Partnerships (PPPs) can be created was increased, and the 
general limit of 49%  foreign capital in state -owned enterprises was eliminated. However, there are 
still some sectors with ownership limits of between 30% and 50%.  
4.197.   With regard to customs, Viet Nam has also made great strides. The Vietnamese authorities 
continue to reform thei r policies and measures related to customs procedures, and today the 
customs administration uses an automatic clearance mechanism, single window, and risk 
management at all levels. I would also like to note that Viet Nam has already bound all its tariffs, 
which range from 0% to 40%, with a simple average applied MFN of 10.9%.  
4.198.   1.39. Two other recent reforms worth highlighting were: first, amendments to its Intellectual 
Property Law in 2019, with the intention of bringing it in line with the commitments made under the 
CPTPP; and second, the enactment of the Law on Competition, which, together with its enabling 
decrees, laid the groundwork for the creation of the National Competition Commission (NCC).  
4.199.   I cannot conclude my intervention without highlighting Viet Nam's commitment to the 
international system. Since its accession in 2007, Viet Nam considers its participation in the WTO as 
a crucial part of its international integration strategy and therefore actively contributes to the 
different processes. In Decembe r 2015, it notified the completion of the procedures for accepting 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA); in January  2017, it also gave notification of the reform of 
the TRIPS Agreement; and it is a party to the Information Technology Agreement (ITA). I w ould like 
to take this opportunity to invite Viet Nam to contribute in addition to the various negotiating 
processes under the Joint Ministerial Statements, especially on e -commerce, investment facilitation 
for development and domestic regulation in servic es. 
4.200.   I conclude by wishing Viet Nam every success in its second trade policy review and 
encouraging its representatives to continue their constructive engagement within the WTO for a 
better and more inclusive functioning of the multilateral trading system.  
INDONESIA  
4.201.   I would like to begin by extending a very warm welcome to Viet Nam’s delegation led by 
H.E. Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Minister of Industry and Trade. Let me also thank the discussant, 
H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G Van Daalen of the Netherlan d for her contribu tion to this R eview, and the 
Government of Viet Nam and the Secretariat for their insightful and comprehensive reports.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.202.   Secondly, I would like to congratulate H.E. Ambassador Mrs. Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme as 
the newly elected Chair of Trade Policy Review  Body.  
4.203.   Indonesia would also like to associate itself with ASEAN’s statement delivered by Brunei 
Darussalam.  
4.204.   Viet Nam has demonstrated its able and strong leadership as the Chair of ASEAN Committee 
in Geneva last year, which has positively contributed to the advancement of issues of common 
concern. Viet Nam has also been constructive and actively engaged in vario us issues in WTO, such 
as fisheries subsidies, and agriculture.  
4.205.   Indonesia and Viet Nam have a long history of friendship and cooperation. With nearly 
66 years of diplomatic engagements, the two countries’ relationship has been progressing well, 
however , we believe there is still a lot of room for improvement to st rengthen the relationship. 
Viet Nam represents a very interesting and long -term strategic trading partner for Indonesia. 
Between 2014 and 2020, the total bilateral trade showed a dyn amic trend and reached 
USD 8.07 billion in 2020, which decreased by 11.5 % from the previ ous year that reached 
USD 9.001  billion.  
4.206.   Since its last review in 2013, Viet Nam has been able to integrate into the world economy, 
reflected with a trade  to GDP ratio of 210% in 2019, increased from 165 % in 2013. Merchandise 
trade expanded at a double -digit annually, reinforcing the significance of Viet Nam’s participation in 
global value chains.  
4.207.   Throughout the review period, Viet Nam’s economy grew at an average annual r ate of 6.6 % 
and reached a 10 -year high of 7.1 % in 2018. In 2019, real GDP increased by 7 %, and GDP per 
capita surpassed USD 2,700. Be that as it may, like many other countries, Viet Nam’s GDP growth 
was declining and expected to slow to 2.5 % in 2020, owing  to the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic.  
4.208.   The COVID -19 pandemic has effectively incapacitated or otherwise crippled virtually every 
business around the world, to which Vietnamese enterprises are no exception. Viet Nam suffered 
from the COVID -19 pandemic as  a result of weakened global demand due to its thorough integration 
into the world economy. Tellingly, some products, such as electronic products did not seem affected 
by the decline of global demand. This condition is attributed to the merit of government  policies 
introduced by the Vietnamese Government. As such, we believe Viet Nam has been able to 
successfully overcome the economic slump and develop a national vision 2035 strategy.  
4.209.   Indonesia commends Viet Nam for its success in dealing with the COVID -19 pandemic by 
implementing various fiscal measures and incentives to replace lost income and boost growth, 
including a fiscal support package equal to 3.6 % of GDP, fee reductions, tax deferrals and 
deductions, and financial incentives for employers and empl oyees. The Vietnamese Government also 
reduced interest rates three times during 2020 and restructured debts to negate t he undesirable 
impacts of COVID -19 on the economy.  
4.210.   The Viet Nam Vision 2035 aims to transform the country into an advanced economic coun try. 
In doing so, Viet Nam mobilizes resources to invest and develop the petroleum and gas industries; 
enhance the financial, scientific, and technological competencies of enterprises operating in the 
sector. This strategy is a tangible sign of the Viet Na m attempt to reduce its dependence on foreign 
oil supplies and a cornerstone of its effort to improve its efficiency.  
4.211.   We note the growing advocacy of self -reliance in the Vietnamese domestic industries. The 
Government of Viet Nam aims to increase the qual ity of industrial products, which encompasses a 
broad range of industries development, including mechanical engineering, chemicals, agriculture, 
forestry, textiles, and electronic and telecommunications. It is expected that the share from these 
sectors wil l account for 40 % of Vietnamese GDP by 2035 and to account for 90 % of merchandise 
exports by 2025. Indonesia believes the efforts to synergize Vietnamese Vision 2035 and Indonesian 
Vision 2045 can be encouraged as a joint effort to strengthen the two count ries’ bilateral cooperation.  
4.212.   Indonesia has submitted a set of questions, covering policies and measures of our interests, 
some of the questions including government’s support for the Small and Medium Enterprises. 
Indonesia is always concerned with the dev elopment of its Small and Medium Enterprises since they WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  are the backbone of our economy. Hence, we would like to further understand on how Viet  Nam 
develops its supports to Small and Medium Enterprises that are consistent with the WTO regulations.  
4.213.   Further more, we also seek clarification regarding the issuance of the Ministry of Health 
regulation on marketing authorization of drugs and medical ingredients. Indonesia is aware that the 
objective of this regulation is to improve the availability and supply of medicines in the country. 
However, this regulation has caught our attention that suggests a questionable sense of judgement, 
whether or not this regulation possesses unnecessary trade barriers for Indonesian pharmaceutical 
products in the future.  
4.214.   We also would like to address the Government of Viet Nam the decision to extend 
anti-dumping measures on cold -rolled stainless steel imported from , inter alia , Indonesia in 2019. 
Taking into account  that the antidumping measures have been implemented since 2013, we believe 
Vietnamese domestic industries have been well recovered ever since.  
4.215.   Other issues that we also raised in our written submission were regarding trade and 
investment regimes, measure s that are directly affecting imports, fisheries, customs modernization , 
distribution services, as well as other general questions.  
4.216.   In conclusion, Indonesia believes that this TPR could address our concerns as well as enhance 
trade and economic cooperatio n between Indonesia and Viet Nam. We appreciate the responses 
provided by Viet Nam to our written questions and will consider them carefully.  
4.217.   Finally, Ind onesia would like to commend H.E. Le  Thi Tuyet Mai, the Permanent 
Representative of Viet Nam and the delegation of Viet Nam for their hard work. On behalf of 
Indonesia, I wish Viet Nam a very productive and successful second Trade Policy Review.  
ECUADOR  
4.218.   The Ecuadorian delegation welcomes the delegation of Viet Nam, headed by 
Mr Tran Quoc Khanh, Vice Mini ster of Industry and Trade. I would also like to associate myself with 
the appreciation expressed by previous speakers for the quality of the reports prepared by both the 
Secretariat and the Vietnamese Government.  
4.219.   I would also like to congratulate the disc ussant, Ambassador Monique Van Daalen, on her 
comments and observations.  
4.220.   Ecuador has followed with interest Viet Nam's second trade policy review. It hopes that the 
measures implemented to alleviate the negative impact caused by the COVID -19 crisis will ha ve the 
anticipated effect.  
4.221.   My country welcomes the positive economic results achieved and the fact that, despite the 
crisis, Viet Nam still expects to record GDP growth. We are pleased to hear that economic growth 
has been reflected in improved living cond itions for the people, as evidenced by the Secretariat's 
information on poverty reduction.  
4.222.   We appreciate the replies received from Viet Nam and look forward to receiving information 
on some outstanding issues. In particular, we would like to know more abou t Viet Nam's experience 
with its TRQ administration policies in the context of agreed liberalization in connection with some 
trade agreements.  
4.223.   Furthermore, Ecuador is interested in learning more about the measures implemented with 
respect to trade facilita tion, and the operation of single windows and automatic customs clearance. 
On this subject, the Ecuadorian trade authority would appreciate receiving information about 
Viet Nam's experience in the use of the database on enterprises before, during and after  customs 
clearance.  
4.224.   In the context of the COVID -19 pandemic, Ecuador would appreciate information on the 
measures mentioned in paragraph 3.50, on the excise duty relief available to taxpayers who produce 
goods subject to excise tax and who experience probl ems arising from natural disasters or other 
contingencies.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.225.   Ecuador is closely following Viet Nam's policy to attract investment, promote economic 
diversification and strengthen the country's productive structure. In this regard, we congratulate it 
on havin g implemented a promising integration into global value chains. My country also wishes 
Viet Nam successful results in its policies on the promotion of the digital economy, technological 
development and the participation of MSMEs in the economy.  
4.226.   Ecuador imp orts manufactured goods from Viet Nam such as various kinds of electronic 
equipment, machinery, shoes and textiles. For our part, we export shrimps, flowers and teak wood 
to Viet Nam. We hope that in the medium and long term, exchanges and economic links b etween 
our countries will grow and a deeper relationship will develop.  
4.227.   Ecuador wishes Viet Nam every success in concluding its second trade policy review.  
THAILAND  
4.228.   At the outset, Thailand would like to associate itself with the ASEAN statement delivered by 
the Ambassador Mazlizah Mahalee of Brunei Darussalam.  
4.229.   Thailand is pleased to participate in the second  Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Viet  Nam. We 
would like to extend our warmest welcome to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade H.E. Tran Quoc 
Khanh ( เจิ่น กวอ๊ก แขง็) and his delegation.  
4.230.   We would like t o thank the TPRB Chair and the d iscussant, H.E. Ambassador Monique T.G. 
Van Daalen of the N etherlands, for her insightful comments. We also thank the Government of 
Viet Nam and the WTO Secretariat for their useful and comprehensive reports.  
4.231.   Thailand and Viet  Nam have enjoyed long -standing amicable relationship and growing 
bilateral trade and ec onomic cooperation at all levels. Through our close physical, institutional, and 
people -to-people connectivity, we are confident that the relationship between the two countries will 
continue to grow for the foreseeable future.  
4.232.   One of the most prominent as pects of the relationship between Thailand and Viet  Nam is the 
economic and commercial linkages that have continued to prosper.  
4.233.   In 2020, Viet  Nam is Thailand’s 6th largest trading partner and 3rd among ASEAN, while 
Thailand is Viet  Nam’s 7 largest trading  partner and 1st among ASEAN. Most recently, both countries 
have participated in the RCEP agreement which will become the world largest free trade agreement.  
4.234.   Total trade value between the two countries amounted to USD 16,600 million and has 
increased, on average, by 3.72% over the past 5 years. Top exported items from Thailand to 
Viet Nam include vehicles and parts, electrical machinery and equipment and parts, plastics and 
articles thereof, air -conditioning machines and parts, fruits, and beverages. Meanw hile, major 
products Thailand imports from Viet  Nam include electrical and electronic appliances, electrical 
machinery and parts, iron and steel and articles thereof, and crude oil.  
4.235.   Moreover, Thailand is also one of the top foreign investors in Viet  Nam w ith 
USD 12,800  million of total registered investment capital as of November 2020. We are positive that 
our bilateral trade will be further strengthened through the aforementioned cooperation and 
improved connectivity between the two countries.  
4.236.   Thailand c ommends Viet  Nam for its sustained remarkable macroeconomic performance. 
Despite the COVID -19 pandemic, Viet  Nam’s GDP growth in 2020 reached 2.91%, following the 7% 
growth rate in 2019. This strong macroeconomic performance has, in turn, sharply reduced p overty 
rate and created fiscal space to deal with the current COVID -19 pandemic and other long-term 
structural reforms. In 2021 and beyond, we are confident that Viet  Nam’s economic growth will 
continue to impress the whole world.  
4.237.   Thailand congratulates V iet Nam on its success and contribution as an ASEAN chair during 
the difficult time of the COVID -19 outbreak. Moreover, we applaud Viet  Nam for being an active 
WTO M ember and for significantly embracing international economic integration and actively 
participating in the global value chains. This, particularly, renders the country one of the global WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  manufacturing hubs, especially for apparel and consumer electronics. Thailand supports Viet  Nam in 
implementing policies to promote exports and economic integrat ion as a way to boost the country’s 
sustainable economic growth and development. Furthermore, we appreciate Viet  Nam’s efforts in 
easing its trade measures and custom procedures and encourage it to further align its technical 
regulations with international ly accepted standards, especially for motor vehicles a nd pharmaceutical 
products.  
4.238.   In this R eview, Thailand submitted a set of questions, covering the policy areas of our 
concerns. We take the opportunity to thank Viet  Nam for its timely responses and will study them 
in detail with great interest.  
4.239.   In closing, Thailand would like to express our appreciation to Viet  Nam for excellent 
cooperation. We look forward to further strengthening our partnership in all areas of mutual interest 
and wish Viet  Nam every s uccess in its second  Trade Policy Review.  
PHILIPPINES  
4.240.   At the outset, the Philippines associates itself with the ASEAN statement delivered by Brunei 
Darussalam, highlighting Viet Nam’s significant contributions and active role in the ASEAN and the 
WTO.  
4.241.   The Philippine delegation warmly welcomes and congratulates the delegation of Viet Nam 
led by Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Kh anh of the Ministry of Indus try and Trade, and Ambassador Le  
Thi Tuyet Mai of the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the WTO on their second  Trade Policy Review. 
We also thank Ambassador Monique Van Daalen  of the Netherlands for her insightful comments as 
discussant, and the WTO Secretariat for a comprehensive report.  
4.242.   The Philippines enjoys a long -standing  bilateral relationship with Viet Nam since the 
establishment of our diplomatic relations in July 1976. Over the past 45 years, we have witnessed 
a steady growth in mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries on a broad range of 
issues, including the further promotion of our trade and investment relations. The Philippines -
Viet Nam Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) established in  1994 serves as an 
important dialogue mechanism for our two countries to deepen and broaden our relations and 
cooperation. We also adopted a Philippines -Viet Nam Plan of Action since 2011, with the most recent 
action plan covering the period 2019 -2024 whic h comprehensively maps out specific commitments 
to be jointly undertaken by both countries in the political, security, economic and cultural spheres.  
4.243.   In 2020, Viet Nam ranked as the Philippines 11th major trading partner with tot al bilateral 
trade valued at USD  4.22 billion. Philippine exports to Viet Nam sl ightly went up by 0.32% from 
USD 1.27 billion in 2019 to USD 1.27 billion due to increase in exports of electrical and electronic 
machinery and digital monolithic integrated circuits. Meanwhile, Philipp ine imports from Viet Nam 
decreased by 18.97% from USD 3.64 billion in 2019 to USD 2.95 billion in 2020 due to decline in 
imports of semi -milled or wholly milled rice, coffee extracts, and transmission apparatus 
incorporating reception apparatus.  
4.244.   The Phil ippines recognizes Viet Nam’s remarkable econom ic development over the past 
30 years with its sustained high GDP growth rates and declining poverty rate which have transformed 
the country into a lower -middle -income emerging economy. Viet Nam’s pursuit of e xport -oriented 
trade policies and active implementation of international economic integration processes during the 
recent years contributed to bringing about positive impacts on the country’s econ omic growth and 
modernization.  
4.245.   Given its deep integration wi th the global e conomy, the Vietnamese economy has been hit 
by the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic but has shown remarkable resilience by recording a GDP growth 
rate of 2.9% in 2020. Although this is the country's lowest rate throughout the period 2011 -2020, 
it still stands among the highest rates all over the world in 2020 and thus is considered a great 
success.  
4.246.   Viet Nam’s Membership in the WTO plays a central role in its international integration 
strategy since its accession to the O rganization in 2007. The Phi lippines notes Viet Nam’s strong 
support for a fair, open and rules -based multilateral trading system, which it has demonstrated WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  through its commitment and active engagement in the various work of the WTO. The Philippines 
appreciates Viet Nam’s participati on in the discussions on WTO reforms and the negotiations on 
fisheries subsidies, and its support to the Informal  
4.247.   Working Group on MSME’s package of recommendations and declarations to support MSMEs 
participation in international trade.  
4.248.   The Philippines h as submitted advance written questions on the TPR reports,  and we thank 
the delegation of Viet Nam for their prompt replies which we have transmitted to our capital for 
consideration.  
4.249.   In closing, the Philippines looks forward to further enhancing the mutu ally beneficial 
economic relations with Viet Nam in the bilateral, regional, and multilateral fora.  
TURKEY  
4.250.   We would like to join previous speakers in extending a very warm welcome to the delegation 
of Viet Nam, headed by the Honourable Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade. We took note of his 
introductory remarks and we thank the delegation of Viet Nam and the Secretariat for their 
comprehensive reports , as well as our discussant Ambassador Van Daalen  of the Netherlands for her 
insightful comments.  
4.251.   As indicated in the reports, Viet Nam sustained high GDP growth rates during the review 
period. The economy grew at an average rate of 6.6% per annum between 2014 and 2018 and 
reached a 10 -year high of 7.1% in 2018.  
4.252.   These numbers were indeed facilitated by Viet Nam’s export -oriented policies, focus on 
deeper international economic integration and active participation in global value chains. As a result, 
Viet Nam’s ratio of trade to GDP increased from 165% in  2013 to 210% in 2019 and its merchandise 
trade grew at a double -digit rate annually.  
4.253.   Implementation of fiscal consolidation, adoption of customs development strategy, revision 
of investment regime and institutional framework for competition are some of the steps taken by 
the government during the review period to further consolidate the co untry’s economic and trade 
outlook.  
4.254.   We are pleased to see Viet Nam’s  active engagement in the WTO. Submission of instruments 
of acceptance for the Agreement on Trade Facilitation in 2015 and for the amendment of the TRIPS 
Agreement in 2017 shows its firm c ommitment to the multilateral trading system.  
4.255.   Turkey and Viet Nam’s bilateral relations progress with a positive agenda in every field. We 
see Viet Nam as an important partner in South East Asia and we wish to further deepen and diversify 
our bilateral coo peration in all fields.  
4.256.   Currently, Viet Nam is one of our top trade partners among ASEAN countries. Within more 
than a decade, our trade volume has increased from USD 154 million to almost USD 2 billion. 
However, we consider that the total volume is still lagging behind strong ties and great potential.  
4.257.   As the reports set out, Viet Nam has signed 15 regional and bilateral FTAs and is currently 
negotiating two FTAs. We would like to commend successful conclusion of CPTPP during the review 
period and RCEP in November 2020 during Viet  Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship. We also welcome the 
FTA between Viet  Nam and the EU and we are looking forward to initiate bilateral FTA negotiations 
to further increase our bilateral trade volume.  
4.258.   In concluding, we wish Viet Nam a ver y successful completion of its s econd Trade Policy 
Review.  
REPUBLIC  OF KOREA  
4.259.   I would like to join others in welcoming His Excellency, Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister 
of Industry and Trade and his delegation to the second Trade Policy Review of Viet Na m. I also thank WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  Ambassador Mrs. Van Daalen for her role as discussant and the Secretariat for its very 
comprehensive report.  
4.260.   Korea takes note that Viet Nam has turned into a strong player in the regional and world 
economy through proactive integration in a n effective manner. As a result, Viet Nam accomplished 
outstanding achievements in the areas of GDP growth, trade volume, and FDI, just to name a few.  
4.261.   At the same time, Viet Nam has continued to foster its role in multilateral mechanisms, in 
ASEAN, United  Nations, APEC, and other international fora and advanced bilateral cooperation with 
its trading partners by signing 15 regional and bilateral FTAs to date.  
4.262.   Currently, Viet Nam is a strong supporter of the multilateral trading system and the WTO, 
actively  participating in the negotiations, including fisheries subsidies, and expressing its support for 
WTO reforms, which demonstrates that Viet Nam has established itself as an important player in the 
multilateral trading system.  
4.263.   Turning to the bilateral aspe ct, Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea share excellent relations. 
The Viet  Nam-Korea FTA, which came into effect on December 2015, has contributed to 
strengthening the bilateral trade between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea. The bilateral trade 
increase d 1.8 times from USD 36.5 billion in 2015 to USD 67 billion in 2019, in which exports and 
imports increased 2.2 and 1.7 times, respectively.  
4.264.   Viet Nam -Korea FTA also plays an important role in attracting FDI from the Republic of Korea 
to Viet Nam. In 2019,  total FDI investment into Viet Nam reached USD 38.02 billion, in which the 
Republic of Korea ranked first. In 2020, our FDI decreased due to the pandemic. Still, we are the 
largest FDI investor in Viet Nam, with 8,934 projects with accumulated investment of 
USD 70.3 billion. In addition, Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea established the ministerial level 
Joint Committee and sub -committee to supervise the implementation of the FTA, having three 
meeting sessions under this mechanism as of 2019.  
4.265.   Despite the great bilateral relations between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea, taking this 
opportunity, and as I was going to raise some points, particularly on the ratification stage of the 
third Protocol to amend the ASEAN -Republic of Korea Trade in Goods Agreeme nt which appears in 
page 32 of your Government report, I have received a revised Government report this morning from 
Viet Nam, where Viet Nam corrected what we raised our questions about. I appreciate it and will 
duly report to our capital. With regards th is and other matters such as Viet Nam subsidy notification, 
cross-border service, SOEs and technology transfer, my delegation has submitted written questions 
and we look forward to receiving a response and having constructive exchanges.  
4.266.   Again, we commend V iet Nam for the impressive achievements at all levels. We hope that 
Viet Nam will keep working to take a leap forward and we look forward to working with Viet Nam in 
due course. I thank you for your attention and we wish Viet Nam a successful second TPR.  
ICELAND  
4.267.   Iceland joins others in welcoming Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh and the distinguished 
delegation of Viet Nam to their Trade Policy R eview. We also express appreciation for the reports 
prepared,  as well as to the discussant, A mbassador Van Daalen ( Netherlands) for her excellent 
framing of the issues for our discussion today.  
4.268.   Negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the EFTA states were 
launched in 2012 and 16 rounds have been held so far. The negotiations cover a comprehensive 
range of topics, including trade in goods, trade in services, IPR and trade and su stainable 
development. Trade between Viet Nam and Iceland has been growing substantially during the last 
five years and in particular imports from Viet Nam to Iceland in machinery and footwear.  
4.269.   Prior to the COVID -19 pandemic, Viet Nam had been experiencin g sustained economic 
growth and impressive decline in poverty rates driven by merchandise trade and active partici pation 
in global value chains. However , preliminary figures for 2020 show a sharp economic downturn, 
reflecting the impact of the COVID -19 pan demic.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.270.   As the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic are still unfolding, it is widely recognized  that 
women are likely to be harder hit than men by trade disruptions caused by the pandemic.  
4.271.   Iceland welcomes the export -oriented trade policies undertaken by Viet Nam, as well as 
various policies to secure women’s employment and participation in trade. Among such is the Law 
on Support for Small and Medium Enterprises prioritizing  the selection of SMEs owned by women, 
and SMEs that employ more female workers, as well  as the Bidding Law favouring contractors who 
employ 25% (or more) female employees when taking part in the bidding.  
4.272.   In September 2020, a group of WTO M embers agreed to establish an Informal Working 
Group on Trade and Gender, marking the next phase of the Buenos Aires initiative kickstarted in 
2017 to increase the participation of women in trade.  
4.273.   The Trade Policy Review provides an excellent opportunity to share best practices of 
respective experiences relating to policies and programs to encourage women's  participation in 
national and international trade and thus promoting sustainable socio -economic  development.  
4.274.   Iceland submitted advance written questions on the participation of women in the economy 
of Viet Nam. The answers will be useful as we gather bes t practices.  
4.275.   Iceland appreciates Viet Nam’s active engagement in WTO and their continued support for 
the multilateral trading system. We wish the delegation of Vi et Nam every success for their Trade 
Policy R eview.  
UNITED  KINGDOM  
4.276.   The United Kingdom joins ot hers in welcoming the delegation of Viet Nam, led by Deputy 
Minister Tran Quoc Khanh.  
4.277.   We also express our gratitude to the WTO Secr etariat for the reports and to d iscussant 
Ambassador Van Daalen for her insights.  
4.278.   We have submitted questions to Viet Nam and  look forward to the clarifications they may 
provide.  
4.279.   Viet Nam is an important trading partner for the United Kingdom.  
4.280.   Although bilateral trade of around USD 7.9 billion a year was impacted by the pandemic in 
2020, trade between Viet Nam and UK doubled between 2010 and 2020.  
4.281.   The United Kingdom and Viet Nam share a strategic commitment to global trade, and the 
free flow of capital and investments – demonstrated by our recently signed bilateral Free Trade 
Agreemen t.  
4.282.   This provides a platform to continue to grow trade and investment between our two 
economies.  
4.283.   The United Kingdom is pleased to note that Viet Nam has increased its engagement within 
the WTO over this review period, in particular the submission of instr uments for the acceptance of 
the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation in December 2015.  
4.284.   Given the growth in Viet Nam’s economy and international outlook, the United Kingdom 
remains interested in Viet Nam’s priorities for multilateral trade.  
4.285.   The United King dom seeks to maximize  trade and investment opportunities globally, so we 
take a strong interest in the intellectual property protections of our trading partners.  
4.286.   We welcome the changes Viet Nam has made to its intellectual property regime over the 
review period, in particular its ratification of the WTO TRIPS Agreement amendment in 2017 and the 
publication of its Intellectual Property Strategy to 2030.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.287.   A number of  our written questions relate to IP protection and enforcement, and we thank 
Viet Nam in advance for its responses.  
4.288.   The United Kingdom supports Viet Nam’s work to harmonize  national standards with 
international standards.  
4.289.   We are encouraged to see the incr ease from 30% to 60% over the review period.  
4.290.   These efforts are welcome  and support Viet Nam’s commitment to reduce regulatory barriers 
under our bilateral Free Trade Agreement.  
4.291.   The United Kingdom is encouraged that Viet Nam considers climate change a pol icy priority 
in the transport and agriculture sectors.  
4.292.   Viet Nam is among those countries most affected by the impacts of climate change, so we 
welcome its targets for efficiency and conservation of energy to 2030, and the further development 
of renewable energy, to make the most of its huge solar and off -shore wind potential.  
4.293.   The United Kingdom is committed to supporting its international partners and this includes 
supporting Viet Nam to meet its energy transition development goals, including in our capac ity as 
hosts of COP26 later this year.  
4.294.   We recognize  the severe consequences and unprecedented challenges all Members and 
businesses are currently facing in response to COVID -19.  
4.295.   The United Kingdom is supporting Viet Nam in the development and distribution  of vaccines 
through technical capacity building and knowledge exchanges.  
4.296.   Collaboration between Viet Nam and the United Kingdom on healthcare continues to 
strengthen, making valuable contributions to global health security through tackling emerging risks 
including non -communicable diseases and antimicrobial resistance.  
4.297.   Viet Nam’s Ministry of Educat ion and  Training has indicated a willingness to engage with the 
United Kingdom on developing a framework that would underpin the Mutual Recognition of 
Qualificat ions, par ticularly in Higher Education. This is welcome.  
4.298.   Understanding assessment criteria is key to progressing this.  
4.299.   Improved transparency regarding the list of specific education services opened for foreign 
investors, including under bilateral arrangem ents and agreements would likewise be beneficial.  
4.300.   We are also pleased to see Viet Nam’s moves to recogniz e qualifications achieved online, 
which will also be important in the post -COVID world to ensure an education system that is fully 
inclusive.  
4.301.   Finally , we wish to congratulate Viet Nam for its successful chairing of ASEAN in 2020, its 
election to the United Nations Security Council and its management of Viet Nam’s COVID -19 
epidemic.  
4.302.   Last year, we refreshed the UK -Viet Nam Strategic Partnership, which s ets an upward 
trajectory to our relationship for the next 10 years.  
4.303.   We look forward to deepening our trade ties through our bilateral Free Trade Agreement, 
and through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans -Pacific Partnership, which the 
United Kingdom is seeking to join.  
4.304.   The United Kingdom appreciates Viet Nam’s active participatio n in this WTO R eview, and 
wish them all the best for the review process this week.  
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  BANGLADESH  
4.305.   At the outset, the Bangladesh delegation welcomes H.E. Tran Quoc Khanh , Deputy Minister 
of Industry and Trade and Head of the Vietnamese delegation, and thank him for his introductory 
presentation at the second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam. Bangladesh also thanks 
H.E. Ambassador Van Daalen from the Netherlands for her insightful discussions. Our sincere 
appreciation also goes to the Government of Viet Nam and to the WTO Secretariat for the 
comprehensive reports.  
4.306.   Viet Nam has made great strides and signif icant progress in recent years. It is encour aging 
to see that prudent macro economic measures adopted by the country have resulted in impressive 
economic growth and remarkable improvement in almost all indices. It sustained high GDP growth 
rates during the last 30 years; the poverty rate declined sharply from above 70% in the early 1990s 
to below 6% in 2019. In 2019, real GDP grew by 7%, with GDP per capita reaching over USD 2,700.  
4.307.   The country's economic expansion in recent years has been underpinned by rob ust domestic 
demand and manufac turing exports. Since its last R eview in 2013, Viet Nam further integrated into 
the world economy, with its ratio of trade to GDP increasing from 165% in 2013 to 210% in 2019. 
Reflecting strong economic fundamentals, the real  effective exchange rate of the Vietnamese Dong 
appreciated by 4% on an average each year. These economic successes transformed the country 
into a lower -middle -income emerging economy.  
4.308.   Bangladesh and Viet Nam enjoy excellent bilateral trade and economic re lations. The bilateral 
ties between the two countries have been further bolstered by the regular high -level visits from both 
sides. Broad -based institutional mechanisms of dialogue have contributed to the deepening of our 
relations. We share a similar visi on of development  - that is  becoming a developed country, by 2045 
for Viet Nam, and by 2041 for Bangladesh.  
4.309.   Bangladesh -Viet Nam Joint Trade Committee (JTC) has been working to double t he bilateral 
trade volume from USD 900 million in 2019 to USD 2 billion  by the end of 2021. Concerning trade 
and investment, we have identified 11 priority areas including agricultural trade and pharmaceutical 
exports from Bangladesh to Viet  Nam. Bangladesh welcomes Vietnamese investment in Special 
Economic Zones. We are goin g to extend cooperation in ICT, textile and RMG, halal products, 
software services, jute and jute goods, establishing direct air links, banking, and tourism, particularly 
Buddhist tourism.  
4.310.   Bangladesh appreciates Viet Nam’s constructive engagement with the WTO and its 
commitment to  the multilateral trading system. However, we have raised some issues regarding the 
second  Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam and will welcome responses in due course.  
4.311.   To conclude, we wish the delegation of Viet Nam a productive and successful TPR. My 
delegation will continue to work closely with the Viet Nam delegat ion, led by Ambassador H.E. Ms.  Le 
Thi Tuyet Mai, to strengthen the multilateral trading system while we strive to enhance our bilateral 
trade.  
KAZAKHSTAN  
4.312.   Kazakhstan warm ly welcomes the delegation of Viet Nam led by Deputy Minister of Industry 
and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh. We express our gratitude to the Government of Viet  Nam for its 
informative report and s tatement. We would also like to express o ur appreciation to Ambassad or Le 
Thi Tuyet Mai and her team in Geneva. We also thank Ambassador Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen  
(Netherlands) for her insightful comments as a discussant and the WTO Secretariat for its 
comprehensive report.  
4.313.   Given its deep integration with the global ec onomy, the Vietnamese economy has been hit 
by the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic, but it ha s shown remarkable resilience. According to the World 
Bank data, Viet  Nam GDP grew by 2.9 % in 2020 and stood among the highest rates all over the 
world in 2020 and thus i s considered a great success, especially given that the COVID -19 pandemic 
is still going on with complex developments.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.314.   Regarding bilateral relations, in 2015, the Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and 
Viet Nam was signed. Viet  Nam became the first country with which the EAEU signed such an 
agreement. The agreement proved its effectiveness and affected the trade and economic relations 
between our states, which began to develop at a faster pace.  
4.315.   Thus, Kazakhstan and Viet  Nam enjoy rapid trade gr owth since the signing of the FTA. The 
bilateral total trade turnover in 2020 amounted to USD 380.8 million, increasing by almost 85 % 
compared to 2015. There is a great potential for deepening further cooperation of our countries, and 
also it is vital to m ake use of available opportunities for the development of trade relations between 
Kazakhstan and Vietnam.  
4.316.   Looking forward, we are ready to explore new growth points for the bilateral economic 
relations in the Post -COVID -19 era and to better synergize the d evelopment strategies of both 
countries.  
4.317.   Kazakhstan has submitted a number of written questions on a range of issues of specific 
interest, such as investment regime, competition policy, TBT, etc. Kazakhstan looks forward to 
receiving replies from Viet  Nam to its questions.  
4.318.   In conclusion, I would like to congratulate the delegation of Viet  Nam and the Secretariat of 
the WTO for the hard work and efforts that went into preparing for this TPR.  
4.319.   We wish the delegation of Viet  Nam every success for their s econd Trade Policy Review.  
INDIA  
4.320.   My delegation is pleased to participate in the second  Trade Policy Review of Viet  Nam. On 
behalf of India, I would like to welcome the delegation of Viet  Nam led by H.E. Tran Quoc Khanh, 
Deputy  Minister of Industry and  Trade, and Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Viet  Nam in 
Geneva H.E. Le Thi Tuyet Mai and her team for the TPR. We thank H.E. the Minister for his 
compreh ensive opening s tatement, Ambassador H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen of Netherlands, 
for he r insightful o bservations as a d iscussant, and the Secretariat and the Government of Viet  Nam 
for the reports prepared for the Review.  
4.321.   India and Viet  Nam enjoy close and friendly ties. Both countries share historical and cultural 
roots, including the common struggle for  liberation and independence. Viet  Nam is an important 
partner for India in South East Asia under the overall umbrella of ASEAN, ASEM and East Asia 
Summit. The ‘Strategic Partnership’ established between the two countries in 2007, has been 
elevated to “Com prehensive Strategic Partnership” in 2016, during Prime Min ister Modi’s visit to 
Viet Nam.  
4.322.   The bilateral trade and economic linkages have grown significantly under India’s look -east 
policy, paying r ich dividends. From a meager USD  200 million in the year 2000, the two -way trade 
has grown steadily over the l ast two decades and stood at USD 10 billion in 2020. Indian exports to 
Viet Nam were USD  4.5 billion and Vie tnam’s exports to India were USD  5.5 billion. There was a 
contraction in the bilateral trade la st year by 22.5% on account of  COVID -19 related disruptions.  
4.323.   Viet Nam is also an attractive investment destination for Indian companies who have made 
a cumul ative investment of close to USD  2 billion in the country and are active across multiple 
sectors including oil and gas exploration, mining, agro -processing, chemicals, auto components and 
IT. Similarly, Vietnamese companies also have invested in India in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, 
IT, chem icals and building materials.  
4.324.   India has a long -standing development partnership with Viet  Nam and has made positive 
contributions towards capacity building and socio -economic development. India’s Development 
Cooperation assistance to Viet Nam are within the ASEAN, the Mekong Ganga Cooperation and the 
bilateral cooperation frameworks. These include assistance through concessional lines of credit, 
training for capacity building and human resource development and technical assistance, including 
for co nservation  and preservation of monuments.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.325.   As a friend and partner, we have watched Viet  Nam’s impressive growth with great interest. 
The far -reaching structural reforms implemented since 1980s have transformed Viet  Nam into one 
of the most dynamic economie s in Asia. In this regard, we are happy to note from the Secretariat’s 
report that during the r eview period Viet  Nam’s economy has grown at a strong pace, resulting in 
further increase in per capita income and reduction in poverty levels. We also commend V iet Nam’s 
policies that seek greater integration with global trade, global value chains (GVCs) and promote 
export -orientation. We also note the significant economic transformation brought about by FDI, 
contributing to its GDP (20%), job creation (5 million  in 2019) and productivity. We also commend 
the fiscal consolidation policies implemente d by the Government of Vietnam.  
4.326.   We also commend Viet  Nam’s commitment to the multilateral trading system and welcome 
Viet Nam’s ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2015, amendment to the TRIPS 
Agreement in 2017 as well their efforts to comply with the notifications obligations at the WTO, with 
more than 350 notifications to various WTO Committees. As a fellow d eveloping country, India 
understands Viet  Nam’s challenges and shares several common concerns. Like Viet  Nam, India 
values the multilateral trading system and the stability and predictability it provides. India remains 
committed to closely working with Vie t Nam not only to exp and and deepen our bilateral co operation, 
but also to strengthen and reform t he multilateral trading system.  
4.327.   I wish our friends from Viet  Nam a productive and successful TPR.  
LAO PDR 
4.328.   On behalf of the Lao PDR’s delegation, I wish to ext end our warmest welcome to the 
distinguished delegation of Viet  Nam led by H.E . Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry 
and Trade and Head of  the Vietnamese  delegation  
4.329.   I would like to thank the Government of Viet  Nam and the WTO Secretariat for the 
preparation of comprehensive reports for this R eview, especially under the circumstances of the 
COVID -19 pandemic.  
4.330.   My thanks also go to discussant H.E Ambassador  Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen 
(Netherlands) for her insight ful observations and introduction.  
4.331.   Lao PDR would like to associate ourselves with the ASEAN statement delivered by Brunei  
Darussalam . 
4.332.   I am of the view that the Secretariat  report and the Vietnam ese Government s tatement have 
provided a good illustration of the changes and developments since the  last TPR of Viet Nam . Today, 
my delegatio n wishes to share with you some  points as follows.  
4.333.   Lao PDR is pleased to highlight the favourable growth of bilateral trade and investment. Viet 
Nam is the 3rd largest trading partner of Lao PDR. During the past 5 years, total trade between the 
two countries have constantly increased by 59.5%, from U SD 1,000 million in 2016 to 
USD 1,596  million in 2020.  
4.334.   In terms of the investment, Viet  Nam is the 3rd largest investment in Lao P DR. Up to now, 
there are 424 projects of Vietnamese enterprises in Lao PDR, with a total value of investment of 
USD 4.1 b illion. These projects cover numerous sectors, including agriculture, industries, handicraft, 
and mining, bringing mutual benefits to b oth of our economies. Lao PDR hopes that our bilateral 
trade and investment will continue to grow to further strengthen our economic relations.  
4.335.   Lao PDR congratulates Viet  Nam on its solid average annual economic growth of 6,46% for 
the period of 2013 -2019.  Trade plays a significant role for Viet  Nam to achieve its economic 
objective. Viet  Nam has taken various initiatives to continually improve its trade -related and 
investment policies. We believe that these efforts will contribute to sustainable and resili ent 
economic growth in the country.  
4.336.   From regional co operation perspective, Lao PDR would like to congratulate Viet  Nam for 
being a successful ASAEN Chairmanship  in 2020 and  thanks Viet  Nam for a close co operation with 
Lao PDR and other ASEAN Member States , as well as the 5 partner  countries in concluding the WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
- 41 - 
 
  negotiations and signing of the RCEP Agreement on 15 November 2020, which is a strong message 
on our region’s support to the rule s-based multilateral trading system.  
4.337.   Lao PDR is of the view that this TP R will provide an important opportunity for Viet  Nam to 
review its trade policy in making a great achievement for the international trade and also to provide 
an important platform for Lao PDR to explore the possibility in improving bilateral trade and 
investment relation with Viet  Nam. 
4.338.   Lao PDR is confident that with maintaining the momentum of its reform agenda, Viet  Nam 
will achieve its target to reach the ec onomic expansion of its period and we believe these priorities 
will be on track with Viet  Nam's eff orts to succeed in its economic transformation in according with 
National Program.  
4.339.   In conclusion, Lao PDR would like to express our appreciation to Viet  Nam, particularly to 
H.E Ambassador  Thi Tuyet Mai Le , Permanent Mission of Viet  Nam, and to Mr. Le Dinh Ba, DPR of 
the Permanent Mission of Viet  Nam and their staff for the cooperation in every level and the friendly 
working relationship between our two Missions here in Geneva. We wish Viet  Nam every success in 
this Trade Policy Review.  
COSTA  RICA 
4.340.   On be half of the Government of Costa Rica, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the 
delegation of Viet Nam, headed by Mr  Tran Quoc Khanh, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, as well 
as to the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the WTO, H.E. Le Thi Tuyet 
Mai, and her team here in Geneva, and to thank them for their report and excellent presentation 
this morning. I would also like to extend my thanks to Ambassador Van Daalen for her insightful 
comments and to the WTO Secretariat for the re port that it has prepared.  
4.341.   Costa Rica is pleased to participate in Viet Nam's trade policy review. Viet Nam is an 
important trading partner for Costa Rica in South -East Asia and with which we share common 
initiatives and interests.  
4.342.   Costa Rica would like to  emphasize the high importance that Viet Nam attaches to the WTO 
in its economic integration strategy, as well as its strong support for the multilateral trading system. 
Like Viet Nam, Costa Rica participates in joint initiatives such as the Micro, Small a nd Medium 
Enterprise (MSME) initiative and in groups such as the Cairns Group.  
4.343.   Specifically with regard to the review, we note the high economic growth experienced by 
Viet Nam during the review period, driven mainly by high domestic demand and soaring fore ign 
trade and the attraction of foreign direct investment.  
4.344.   The promotion of public policies directed at exports and economic integration have been 
decisive in achieving these results. The strategy on exports and imports developed by Viet Nam in 
recent year s is a clear example of how, with vision and planning, tangible results can be obtained, 
not only from an economic, but also from a social point of view.  
4.345.   The expansion of export markets, participation in global value chains, sustained growth in 
the value o f its exports and the reduction in poverty rates are just some of the economic and social 
indicators that have evolved positively as a result of these policies.  
4.346.   To go from poverty levels above 70% to below 6% in a period of time of around 30 years is 
simpl y impressive. As a developing country that has had to deal with chronic levels of poverty in 
recent years, Costa Rica is encouraged by these results obtained by Viet Nam and we look forward 
to learning from its experience in the coming years.  
4.347.   During the cu rrent review period, we note with interest the changes introduced by Viet Nam 
to its investment regime. Although these changes are relatively recent, we would like to know 
whether Viet Nam has undertaken a preliminary assessment of the results obtained thr ough these 
changes and whether it plans to make additional changes, in particular in relation to the number of 
so-called conditional business sector activities.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.348.   Another aspect that draws our attention is Viet Nam's energy policy, in particular its National  
Action Plan for Green Growth, which promoted the reduction of greenhouse gases and the use of 
clean and renewable energies. In this regard, we note that Viet Nam is still highly dependent on 
non-renewable energies such as coal and that this dependence is likely to increase in the short and 
medium term given the expected increase in energy demand and the absence of cleaner energy 
sources. In this regard, we encourage Viet Nam to continue in its efforts to diversify its energy mix 
and promote renewable energ y sources such as solar and wind energy.  
4.349.   Lastly, we would also like to highlight the progress made by Viet Nam in its policies and 
measures relating to its customs procedures and competition policy. The modernization of policies 
in these areas will surely contribute positively to Viet Nam's econo mic reform process.  
4.350.   I would like to conclude by wishing Viet Nam every success in this Trade Policy Review.  
MYANMAR  
4.351.   Myanma r aligns itself with the ASEAN s tatement made by Brunei  Darussalam . First of all, 
my delegation would like to welcome the Viet  Nam d elegation led by H.E Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, 
Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade. Myanmar fu rther welcomes the Secretariat r eport  
(WT/TPR/S/410) and government r eport (WT/TPR/G/410) of Viet  Nam second Trade Policy Review.  
4.352.   Our appreciation goes to th e discussant, H.E. Monique T.G. V an Daalen , Ambassador of the 
Netherlands to the WTO for her comprehensive remarks.  
4.353.   Myanmar and Viet  Nam have  enjoyed long -standing diplomatic and economic relations and 
both countries shared good cooperation in every possib le area includin g trade and investment. 
Myanmar -Viet Nam Joint Trade Committee has been established since 2002 and MoU on Trade 
Cooperation has been signed in 2017.  
4.354.   Our bilateral trade volume has been growing steadily and in favour of Viet  Nam. According 
to the Statistics for the year 2019 -2020, Viet  Nam is one of the top ten importing partners of 
Myanmar and stands as the 4th major investor according to Myanmar Investment Law and 17th 
major investor according to Special Economic Zone Law.  
4.355.   Myanmar recogniz es the major economic strategies of Viet  Nam in regional and international 
integration in recent years and congratulates the successful signing of bilateral and regional FTAs.  
4.356.   It is also noteworthy that during 2015 -2019, Viet  Nam’s average Export growth is  13% per 
year while the average Import growth is 11.2% and remarkable economic growth rate of more than 
6%.  
4.357.   Myanmar welcomes the prospects of Viet  Nam in promoting the implementation of FTAs but 
prioritizing ASEAN and its commitments in WTO. We also comme nd Viet  Nam’s National Digital 
Transformation Program and National Telecommun ication Development Strategies for the digital 
infrastructure development.  
4.358.   Before I conclude, I would also like to appreciate H.E. Ambassador Le  Thi Tuyet Mai and the 
members of t he Permanent Mission in Geneva for their hard work and excellent cooperation. I wish 
Viet Nam every success in its 2nd TPR.  
RUSSIAN  FEDERATION  
4.359.   We welcome the opportunity to participate in Viet  Nam’s second Trade Policy Review.  
4.360.   Viet Nam is Russia’s long -standing  economic and strategic partner. Our countries are linked 
through decades of friendship, mutual trust and productive cooperation. We highly value the 
successful collaboration with Hanoi in trade, economic, scientific and humanitarian fields.  
4.361.   Viet Nam remains one of Russia’s largest trading destinations in Southeast Asia and became 
the first state to sign a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, which entered into 
force in October 2016. This development positively reflected on our b ilateral trade turnover, resulting WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  in a steady upward trend since then. In 2020 , combined imports a nd exports amounted to 
USD 5,67 billion, rising by over 15% in comparison to the previous year.  
4.362.   Economic cooperation between our countries is guided by the I ntergovernmental commission 
on trade, economic, science and technology cooperation. Currently the Commission oversees the 
implementation of 14 investment projects in the energy sector, civil aircraft engineering, agriculture, 
as well as in light, chemical and coal industries. Significant importance is attached to collaboration 
in the fuel and power sectors. Major Russian oil and gas companies are assisting in hydrocarbon 
exploration and extraction in Viet  Nam. Other promising avenues of cooperation – atomic  energy 
sector, development of banking, collaboration in the IT field, including the creation of e -government 
in Viet  Nam and advancement of “smart cities” technologies.  
4.363.   Overall, Russia is satisfied by the cooperation with Viet  Nam in the WTO and commends 
unwavering commitment of Hanoi to the multilateral trading system. We note with appreciation 
Viet Nam’s accession to the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation in December 2015 and acceptance 
of the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement in January 2017. We also co ngratulate Viet  Nam with a 
decent notification record.  
4.364.   In conclusion, we wish Hanoi a successful Trade Policy Review.  
MAURITIUS  
4.365.   The Mauritius delegation warmly welcomes the delegation from Viet Nam led by His 
Excellency Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister  of Industry and Trade and extends its support to 
the delegation for this Trade Policy Review exercise.  
4.366.   We congratulate the Government of Viet Nam and the WTO Secretariat for successfully 
completing the second  Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam despite these trying times.  
4.367.   We also thank H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen  of Netherlands for her insights about the 
TPR report.  
4.368.   For Mauritius, a developing nation, Viet Nam is an inspiring mo del of success and 
development.  It is a country that has so much to offer to anyone who visits it. From its beautiful 
beaches to its lush forests and mountains while enjoying delicious cuisine, Viet Nam is simply an 
amazing destination.  
4.369.   We are happy to note that, in the last several years, Viet  Nam’s economy has made 
significant ac hievements in terms of economic structure,  trade and investment. Indeed, since its 
accession to the WTO Membership in 2007, Viet Nam has increasingly engaged with the international 
community and is party to a number of trade agreements with important international players.  
4.370.   The economic growth of Viet Nam has indeed reflected in a significant drop in poverty a nd 
today the country has evolved from a largely agricultural based economy to a more diversified one, 
with impressive manu facturing and service sectors. In this regard, we further commend Viet Nam 
for the development and successful implementation of its ex port-oriented trade policies.  
4.371.   While Mauritius and Viet Nam do not share extensive trade ex changes, we can testify of 
Viet Nam’s increasing integration in global value chains as some Mauritian companies have also 
started to partner with Viet Nam’s manufacturing sector to  access international markets. This is true 
for precious stones that Mauritius used to export to the U.S. but is now sent to Viet Nam for 
processing before ultimately ending in the U.S. market.  
4.372.   Mauritius and Viet Nam are also host to  a number of multinational companies which has led 
to pa rtnerships in service sectors. We are sure that our two countries can further collaborate in a 
number of activities such as tourism or computer -related services.  
4.373.   We would like to highlight that Viet N am and Mauritius share a lot of commonalities in their 
development agenda and albeit at largely different magnitudes, both our countries have seen their 
economic growth begin ning with agriculture, followed by textiles, manufacturing and services.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.374.   Mauritian  companies are increasingly viewing Viet Nam’s industry players as potential 
collaborators which would contribute to our collective development and economic growth.  
4.375.   The COVID -19 pandemic has affected us for a long time, and the global economy is suffering 
immensely.  International trade has never been so unpredictable,  and we are unsure how we are 
going to emerge at the end of the tunnel.  
4.376.   Nonetheless, we are pleased to note that Viet Nam’s rapid reactive policies have been able 
to contain, to a large exte nt, the impact of the pandemic.  This is also testament to the resilience of 
a diversified economy against such global shocks and should serve as an example for all developing 
nations.  
4.377.   To be honest, Viet Nam has achieved so much that I could praise the country  for hours on, 
but as is the case for every one of us, there is always room for improvement.  
4.378.   While the Government of Viet Nam has our support, we would , however , appeal Viet Nam to 
consider eliminating export restrictions, particularly on food products as this may have the effect of 
distorting global trade and cause disruptions to food security in other countries.  
4.379.   We fully understand the concerns of the Government of Viet Nam with respect to food 
security in its country, but we would humbly request the cou ntry to thoroughly assess the real need 
to impose these measures and to consider the impact on the international community, especially on 
net food importing developing countries and LDCs.  
4.380.   With that said, I would like to conclude my statement by saying that  Mauritius commends 
the remarkable achievements made by Viet Nam and encourages the country to further i ntegrate 
the global community. We hope that our two countries can, in the future, develop more linkages and 
achieve grea t things together with all WTO M embers.  
TAJIKISTAN  
4.381.   Tajikistan is pleased to participate in the second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam and would 
like to  extend warm welcome to entire d elegation of Viet Nam led by H.E. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy 
Minister of Industry and Trade.  
4.382.   Tajik-Vietname se diplomatic relations were established in 1992. The bilateral cooperation 
between Tajikistan and Viet Nam has been dynamically developing thanks to intense efforts of both 
parties. The basis of the legal framework between the two countries include number  of documents.  
4.383.   Trade turnover between the two countries in 2020 amounted to USD 4,2 million and 
decreased compared to 2019 by USD 0.8 million. Exports of goods to Viet  Nam from Tajikistan for 
this period amounted to USD 1.5 million and imports from Viet Nam amounted to USD 2.7 million. 
Given the current level of trade cooperation it is important to expand the trade relations between 
Tajikistan and Viet Nam.  
4.384.   We appreciate the efforts of the Government of Viet Nam and the Secretariat in  producing 
the reports and the d iscussant, H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen  of Netherlands for her valuable 
comments.  
4.385.   This second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam provides a great opportunity to understand its 
trade and investment regimes. The Republic of Tajikistan comme nds Viet Nam for significant 
achievements made since  its last TPR in 2013. The growth rate for the period of 2013 -2019 reached 
6.46%. In 2020, Viet Nam's GDP increased by 2.91%.  
4.386.   We welcome the efforts of Viet Nam, particularly to advance WTO reform discus sions and its 
engagement in the WTO negotiations. Viet Nam submitted its instrument of acceptance of the TFA 
in December 2015, and ratified the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement in January 2017.  
4.387.   To conclude , the Republic of Tajikistan highly appreciates th e hard work and strong 
commitment of Viet Nam and wishes a very successful and productive Trade Policy Review.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  NEPAL  
4.388.   Thank you chair for convening this me eting and giving me the floor. First, my delegation 
would like to welcome the delegation of Viet Nam under the leadership of H.E. Tran Quoc Khanh, 
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and would like to appreciate him for his insightful r emarks 
delivered this morning. I wish to congratulate the Government of Viet Nam for its comprehensive 
report and would like to commend the Secreta riat for its detailed report. Furthermore, I wish to 
thank H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen , Ambassador of Netherlands for her comprehensive 
remarks as a discussant.  
4.389.   My delegation commends Viet Nam’s continuous commitment to ru les-based, fair, open and 
predictable multilateral trading system.  
4.390.   While going through the reports, it is observed that Viet Nam has taken significant policy 
reforms to improve its trade and economic regime over the review period.  
4.391.   Diversification and mul tilateralization of relations, building an open economy and integrating 
with the region and the world are some major policy guidelines.  
4.392.   Viet Nam has presented itself as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic economies in 
the region.  
4.393.   It is a matter of  pleasure to mention that over the past 30 years, Viet Nam sustained high 
GDP growth rates, which transformed the country into a lower -middle -income emerging economy.  
4.394.   The poverty rate declined sharply from above 70% in the early 1990s to below 6% in 2019, 
which is definitely a result of high economic growth.  
4.395.   I commend Viet Nam for its 6.6% average annual economic growth between 2014 and 2018 
and a positive growth of 2. 5% even in the COVID -19 year 2020.  
4.396.   Rapid growth in the size of trade with an increase of 332 times from 1986 to 2019, continued 
trade surplus from 2016 to 2020, and significant increase in FDI are highly appreciated.  
4.397.   Strategy on Exports and Imports for 2011 -20, socio -economic development s trategy 
2011-2020, and Vision 2030 remained major policy guidance to trade and economic development 
of the country.  
4.398.   Furthermore, its intention to develop another 10 -year socio -economic development strategy 
for the period of 2021 -2030, I believe, would be instrumental in guiding its future development 
endeavours.  
4.399.   Improvement in investment regime by revising both the Enterprise Law and the Investment 
Laws with a view to attracting FDI by equalizing business conditions for SOEs, foreign -invested 
enterprises, and the domestic private sector are appreciated.  
4.400.   Enactment of the Law on Competition and creating National Competition Commission (NCC) 
to address some issues of regulatory deficiencies, and continued reforms in policies and measures 
on customs procedures  based on Customs Development Strategy remained impressive.  
4.401.   Nepal and Viet Nam have been enjoying cordial relationship  in various dimensions of 
socio-economic and cultural development since long back. Our friendship has been further 
strengthened after est ablishing the diplomatic relation in 1975.  
4.402.   Nepal and Viet Nam have been bound by commonality of culture and shared values.  
4.403.   Buddhism has remained one of the strongest binding threads between the peoples of the 
two countries.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.404.   With the passage of time, our  ties have been advancing with increased interactions and close 
cooperation mainly due to increased economic and cultural relation.  
4.405.   Exchanges of high -level visits from both sides have further contributed to widening the 
relationship in different dimensions .  
4.406.   For instance, a side -line meeting of Prime Ministers of both countries during the annual Davos 
World Economic Forum in January 2019, and a visit by Right Honou rable Prime Minster of Nepal 
Mr. KP Sharma Oli to Viet Nam in May 2019 offered good occasions to discuss measures to accelerate 
bilateral cooperation across various fields.  
4.407.   The Signing of Agreement on Visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, 
and M oU on establishment of bilateral consultation mechanism between the two Ministries  of Foreign 
Affairs were important achievements of the visit.  
4.408.   Furthermore, Nepal -Viet Nam Friendship Association, Memorandum of Arrangement between 
the aeronautical authorities of Nepal and Viet Nam, and MoU on cooperation between the Viet Nam 
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), among 
others are some examples of our friendly ties.  
4.409.   Both the countries have taken an initiative of concluding a Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement which may further enhance our b ilateral cooperation in trade and investment in the days 
ahead.  
4.410.   Viet Nam is one of the major trade partners of Nepal particularly i n importing goods from 
abroad. Trade data reveals that Nepal imported various goods from Viet Nam worth of about 
10 billion N epali rupees in the year 2019. However, Nepal exporte d to Viet Nam worth of only 
362 million Nepali rupees in the same year resulting a huge trade gap with an export import ratio of 
1:27.6.  
4.411.   This calls for wider and deeper collaboration and partnership in trade, investment and 
tourism sectors for our mutual benefit.  
4.412.   Electric appliances, coffee, tea, seafood, textile, leather footwear, energy, renewable energy, 
high-tech agriculture, information exchange and cooperation in agricultural science and technical 
research, and tourism could be some important areas of collaboration between the two countries.  
4.413.   Nepal wishes to constructively engage with Viet Nam at bilateral level to further strengthen 
our partnership focusing on reducing the existing trade gap and en riching mutual benefits.  
4.414.   My delegation wishes Viet Nam a successful Trade Policy R eview.  
SRI LANKA  
4.415.   My delegation welcomes the delegation of Viet  Nam led by Hon. Tran Quoc Khanh , Deputy 
Minister of Industry and Trade , Head of the Vietnamese delegation, who joins this meeting remotely 
due to the prevailing global health situation, for the second  review of the trade policies and practices 
of Viet  Nam. We thank H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen, the discussant, for her report and the 
WTO Secretar iat and the Government of Viet  Nam for their comprehensive reports made available 
to the delegations in advance of this meeting.  
4.416.   My delegation notes that over the past 30 years, Viet  Nam sustained high GDP growth rates, 
which transformed the country into a  lower -middle -income emerging economy; the poverty rate 
declined sharply from above 70% in the early 1990s to below 6% in 2019. The economy grew at an 
average rate of 6.6% per annum between 2014 and 2018 and reached a 10 -year high of 7.1% in 
2018. In 2019,  real GDP grew by 7%, with GDP per capita reaching over USD 2,700. Preliminary 
data showed that GDP growth in 2020 slowed down to 2.5%, reflecting the impact of the COVID -19 
pandemic.  
4.417.   Viet Nam pursues export -oriented trade policies and recognizes internat ional economic 
integration as a key driver for its institutional improvement, economic growth, and development. WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  Given its deep integration into the global economy, Viet  Nam suffered from the COVID -19 pandemic 
due to weakened demand and reduced trade. Howev er, preliminary evidence indicates that 
Viet Nam's merchandise trade based on GVCs in 2020, particularly in the consumer electronics and 
garment sectors, appeared not to be losing momentum, compared with those sectors' performance 
in 2019, partly reflectin g the government's proactive measures.  
4.418.   All tariffs are bound, and mostly in the 0% -40% range. The simple average applied MFN rate 
for all goods was 11.9% in 2020, up from 10.4% in 2013, mainly due to the change from the HS12 
to the HS17 nomenclature and th e splitting of several tariff lines. Only second -hand motor vehicles 
are subject to applied non -ad valorem  rates. The highest tariffs include 135% for five tariff lines 
concerning cigarettes. In 2020, the average bound rate was 14.7%. The simple average ap plied MFN 
tariff was 18.1% for agricultural products (WTO definition) and 10.9% for non -agricultural products. 
The difference between bound and applied MFN rates leaves some scope for flexibility in Viet  Nam's 
tariff policy. Tariff rate quotas regulate imp orts of eggs, sugar cane, tobacco, and salt.  
4.419.   On trade, Viet  Nam is the 29th export destination for Sri Lankan merchandises and the 17th 
supply source of imports to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s exports to Viet  Nam gradually increased from 
2015 to 2018 but recorde d a sharp drop in 2019.  Sri Lanka’s exports to Viet  Nam are concentrated 
on very limited products which is the dominant footwear that made the Balance of Trade between 
the two countries have always been heavily in favo ur of Viet  Nam. 
4.420.   My delegation notes with concerns that all the official documents/regulations/measures and 
reports pertaining to exporting to Viet  Nam are made available only in Vietnamese language, which 
creates an indirect non -trade barrier for Sri Lanka when trading with Viet Nam.  Further, Sri Lankan 
exporters of meat and related products, sea food to Viet  Nam are required to be approved by the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade 
(MOIT), which are published in their r espective websites. This approval process seems to be of highly 
complex.  
4.421.   Regular delays in getting certain comprehensive inputs/clarifications from Government 
Institutions of Viet  Nam and lack of information on import regulations/ procedures publicly avail able 
are major obstacles to enhance our bilateral relations.  
4.422.   On the b ilateral front, Sri Lanka and Viet  Nam have signed double taxation avoidance 
agreement in 2005 and i t came into operation from 2007/ 2008. There is a bilateral investment treaty 
between t he two countries, which ca me into force on 22  October 2019.  
4.423.   With a view of exchange of views and discuss on the issues of the topics of P olitical relations, 
Security and defense Cooperation, Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation, Industry, Tourism, 
Civil Aviation, Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Oil and Gas, Banking and Finance, Cooperation 
in Information and Communications, Cooperation in Education and Training, Cooperation in Culture, 
Legal and Judicial Cooperation, Cooperation in Regional an d International Fora, Cooperation between 
the two countries , the Viet  Nam–Sri Lanka Joint Econ omic Commission was established .  
4.424.   The Sub -Committee on Trade (SCT) between Sri Lanka and Viet  Nam was established to 
explore the new avenues for further strengthening and fostering bilateral relations in the field of 
trade and industry related matters. The second  Meeting of the Sub -Committee on Trade was held in  
2019.  
4.425.   Discussions were held on sever al areas for cooperation agreed upon by the two sides and 
included the signing  of the Agreement between the two Governments on Cooperation and Mutual 
Assistance in Customs, extending the implementation of cooperation plans in the agricultural sector 
for th e period of 2020 -2022, implementation plan for the period of 2020 -2022 of the M oU on bilateral 
cooperation in fisheries, strengthening cooperation in the field of textile and garment and 
manufacturing industrial machineries, reviewing and fully implementin g the existing Agreements on 
Aviation Cooperation and Investment Promotion and Protection.  
4.426.   In concluding, my delegation appreciates Viet  Nam’s highly valued contri bution to the 
multilateral trading  system and its active engagement in the negotiations. We w ish the Vietnamese 
delegation a successful deliberation on its second  Trade Policy Review.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  KYRGYZ  REPUBLIC  
4.427.   The Kyrgyz Republic welcomes the delegation of Viet Nam, led by Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, 
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Head of the Vietnamese TP R delegation.  
4.428.   We express our thanks to the WTO Secretariat and the Government of Viet Nam for preparing 
such comprehensive and detailed Trade Policy Review reports. We would also like to thank the 
discussant, H.E.  Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen, for her ins ightful comments.  
4.429.   Since the beginning of its Membership to the WTO, Viet Nam has demonstrated the high 
dedication to the WTO rules and as it has been said at the last TPR in 2013, has convincingly shown 
its commitment to trade liberalization under the mult ilateral trading system centered on the WTO 
continuously.  
4.430.   Among many other successful steps on the WTO platform are acceptance of Trade Facilitation 
Agreement and Protocol amending the TRIPS Agreement. Viet Nam is also the member of the 
Information Technol ogy Agreement.  
4.431.   Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kyrgyz Republic and Viet Nam 
on 4 June 1992, the two states have carried out and developed political and economic affairs. The 
parties exchanged delegations of various levels, meeti ngs of officials were held within the framework 
of participation in multilateral cooperation through the organizations such as the WTO, the United 
Nations, international conferences, etc.  
4.432.   The Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Vie t Nam was signed 
on 29 May 2013 and took effect from 5 October 2016. After more than 4 years of adoption, the EAEU 
and Viet Nam organized number of sessions of the Join Committee for the implementation of the 
FTA between the parties. The conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between EAEU from one side 
and the Kyrgyz Republic from another had a positive impact on strengthening and expanding trade 
in goods and services.  
4.433.   It was voiced at the Committee on the Regional Trade Agreements in 2019, cooperation 
between the EAEU and ASEAN, to which Viet Nam is a member, remains modest and does not 
correspond to the potential of the parties.1 The Kyrgyz Republic stands ready for deepening and 
strengthening the cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally.  
4.434.   Our coun tries have established beneficial mutual trade. The dynamics of trade turnover from 
2016 to 2019 demonstrates this positive trend. From the beginning of 2016 to the end of 2019, the 
volume bilateral trade between the Kyrgyz Republic and Viet Nam increased above 2.5 times (from 
USD 3,3 million to USD 8,5 million). The consecutive positive annual dynamics of growth gives 
optimism for future trade.  
4.435.   The Kyrgyz Republic’s exports mainly to Viet Nam meat products, dry plants used in 
pharmaceuticals. In turn, Viet  Nam exports to the Kyrgyz Republic mainly cellular telephones (42%), 
clothing items, rubber shoes, fish products and other goods.  
4.436.   In terms of services, it is worth to note that tourism has the mutual potential to increase 
share of trade in services.  
4.437.   The Kyrgyz Republic is interested on further fruitful economic cooperation and deepening 
trade economic relations with Viet Nam.  
4.438.   The Kyrgyz Republic wishes a successful second Trade Policy Review to Viet Nam.  
BOLIVARIAN  REPUBLIC  OF VENEZUELA  
4.439.   The delegation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela would like to extend a warm welcome 
to the delegation of Viet Nam, headed by the Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr  Tran Quoc 
 
1 Committee on CRTA 2019, Ref: East Economic Forum in Vladivostok, 2019 . WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  Khanh. We thank the discussant, Ambassador of the Netherlands, Ms  Monique T.G. Van Daalen, for 
her context -setting analysis, and the Secretariat for its organization and documentation.  
4.440.   We would like to open our statement by highlighting the ties of brotherhood and trade 
cooperation that unite us with Viet Nam. During 31 year s of diplomatic relations between Venezuela 
and Viet Nam, as well as 15 years of full partnership between the two nations, we have signed more 
than 50 recovery projects in various fields: science and technology, education, information, 
agriculture and cult ure. 
4.441.   In the area of agricultural research between the two nations, we highlight that good results 
have been obtained in the creation of rice varieties, which will guarantee food security in Venezuela. 
Progress has also been made in the area of clothing and  footwear production. It is noteworthy that 
in 2020 the Venezuela -Viet Nam Binational Business Chamber was established, which will collaborate 
and support entrepreneurs from both nations.  
4.442.   Regarding the report submitted by the WTO Secretariat for Viet Nam's second trade policy 
review covering the period from 2013 to 2020, we note many positive points that demonstrate the 
country's commitment to honouring its WTO obligations by applying best practices in all areas of its 
international trade management.  
4.443.   We appreciate that Viet Nam has maintained high GDP growth rates, which has transformed 
the country into an emerging lower -middle income economy. We welcome the reduction of the 
poverty rate from above 70% in the early 1990s to below 6% in 2019. We highligh t the Export and 
Import Strategy for 2011 -20, Vision 2030, which sets out trade -related targets, with a view to 
achieving a surplus in the next decade.  
4.444.   Another element we would like to highlight is the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in 
Viet Nam's economic transformation, which accounts for 20% of GDP, created 5  million jobs in 2019 
and represents a significant improvement in the country's productivity.  
4.445.   Like all Members of this Organization, Viet Nam suffered from the COVID -19 pandemic due 
to weaken ing demand and reduced trade. However, we are comforted that preliminary data indicate 
that Viet Nam's trade in goods, particularly in the consumer electronics and clothing sectors, appears 
not to be losing momentum, compared to the performance of these se ctors in 2019, in part reflecting 
the Government's proactive measures.  
4.446.   In wishing Viet Nam a successful trade policy review, we would like to conclude our statement 
by acknowledging Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai and her team, while reaffirming our bonds of 
cooperation, as well as our shared commitment to the establishment of a strong, fair and predictable 
multilateral trading system based on solidarity and on common and transparent rules.  
  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  5  REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF VIET NAM  AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS  
5.1.  We would like to express our sincere gratitude for all comments from Ambass ador Athaliah 
Lesiba Molokomme,  Chairperson, from Ambassador of the Ne therlands Monique Van Daalen – 
discussant, and from the representatives of 43 WTO Members at the f irst session of the TPR of 
Viet Nam. We would also like to thank WTO Members for their positive remarks  on the eff orts and 
achievements that Viet  Nam has made in the socio -economic development over the past years, as 
well as for acknowledging our contributions towards multilateral activities.  
5.2.  Upon acknowledgment of all such comments, we would like to present and explain more clearly 
about a number of major groups of issues  presented  as follows.  
5.3.  First of all, we affirm that Viet Nam's consistent policy is to prom ote the "Doi Moi" process as 
well as to continue deep and comprehensive international integration, towards the goal of turning 
Viet Nam into a n upper -middle -income developing country with a modern industry by 2030, and into 
a high -income, developed country  by 2045. Viet Nam's Socio -Economic Development Strategy for 
the period 2021 -2030 asserts the necessity to closely link international integration with 
strengthening institutional capacity in a modern and synchronous manner; to enhance the level and 
quality of international integration,  and to strictly comply with international commitments as well as 
trade agreements signed.  
5.4.  We would like to re affirm that Viet Nam always respects and fully complies with our principles 
and commitments in the WTO. Commitments on market opening, including elimination of tariffs on 
goods and allowing foreign investors to provide services in Viet Nam, have always been fully enforced 
by our government and in compliance with the roadmap committed, and in some cases  we have 
been even more open than committed. At the time of the accession to  the WTO, Viet Nam committed 
to reduce the average tariff rates for all agricultural products from the current 23.5% to 20.9% by 
the end of the tariff reduction roadmap period  in 2019. In 2019, howe ver, Viet Nam's average applied 
MFN tariff rate on agricultural products is 17.6%, which is significantly lower than the committed 
level in the WTO. In 2020, Viet Nam also applied MFN import duties reduction for a number of 
agricultural products such as ch icken, almonds, fresh apples, fresh grapes, raisins, wheat, potatoes, 
milk, so on and so forth. Statistics also show that the growth rate of merchandise imports and 
exports during the period of 2013 -2019 are nearly equivalent to each other. To be specific , the 
average merchandise export growth during this period is 12.7% annually, while the corresponding 
figure for imports is 12.1%. This proves that Viet Nam is keen on boosting exports as much as 
ensuring imports conducted openly and co nveniently for all WT O Members.  
5.5.  In terms of creating favo urable  conditions for the business and investment environment, the 
Vietnamese Government has always considered this as one of the top priorities, thus has 
continuously been conducting reviews and assessment to promptly r evise or issue new legal 
documents to support businesses and investors. In 2020, the National Assembly of Viet Nam issued 
the revised Law on Investment, and soon after , the government issued an enforcement decree 
providing much more liberalized conditions for foreign inves tors. The Law on Investment has, in 
particular, provided supplemented regulations on announcing the list of industries and sectors with 
limitations on mark et access for foreign investors. Accordingly, many areas include services and 
manufa cturing will be now more open for foreign investors compared to when Viet Nam joined the 
WTO. This Law also address es overlapping  and inadequacies among business - and investment -
related regulations, ensuring consistency and unity of the legal system, refor ming investment order 
and procedures, and abolishing some requirements that previously must be submitted to the Prime 
Minister for approval.  
5.6.  In addition, the Public -Private Partnership (PPP) under the Law on Investment has created a 
more effective and stable legal framework to improve the efficiency of PPP investment which will 
help to create preferential policies and mechanisms to ensure its a ttractiveness and to minimize 
risks for investors in infrastructure development and public services provision.  
5.7.  In addition to the amendment of the Investment Law, the Government of Viet Nam also pays 
special attention to the reform of administrative proced ures. Between 2016 and 2020, the 
government has reduced 3,893 out of 6,191 business conditions; 6,776 out of 9,926 list of goods 
subject to specialized inspection; and 30 administrative procedures related to specialized inspection. WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  Also, during  this period , 1,501 items subject to overlapping specialized inspection have also been 
processed.  
5.8.  In terms of trade facilitation, especially the implementation of WTO Agreement on Trade 
Facilitation, Viet Nam Custom Authority has proactively enforced measures with the  supports of 
some Viet Nam' trading partners during recent years, including adopting the mechanisms on 
electronic customs, risk managements, and business priorities. Furthermore, Viet Nam provided 
notifications updating our regulations on determination of customs valuation in accordance with the 
commitments stipulated in the Agreement on Customs Valuation.  
5.9.  Along with efforts to facilitate trade, Viet Nam has also implemented a series of measures to 
combat origin fraud and illegal transshipment. In 2019, the  Prime Minister approved the Scheme on 
"Strengthening state management in preventing the circumvention of trade remedies and origin 
fraud" and Resolution No. 119/NQ -CP on a number of urgent measures to strengthen state 
management in preventing the circumve ntion of origin fraud and illegal transshipment. Accordingly, 
the General Department of Customs has been increasingly applying strict control measures at all 
stages of customs clearance procedures, requesting provincial and city customs departments to 
apply professional customs measures, including customs pr ocedures, risk management, 
post-customs clearance in spection, customs control, etc.  
5.10.   In addition, Viet Nam also implements several solutions such as identifying groups of items 
at high risk of fraud or fo rging certificates of origin; reviewing and i dentifying transactions, 
import -export enterprises with spiking import and export turnover compared to their production 
capacities and scale in order to conduct analysis and inspection decisions. With the above specific 
efforts and measures, in the year 2020 alone, the General Department of Customs inspected over 
100 suspe cted enterprises and detected 4 5 cases of violations of goods origin; coordinated with the 
Ministry of Public Security in investigating a case with signs of forging the certificate of origin; 
confiscated 3,590 bicycles, over 4,000 sets of bicycle components and over 12,000 sets of 
components and accessories for assembling kitchen cabinets as exhibits of violation. The activeness 
in coordination a mong domestic agencies, ministries and international agencies and organizations 
has contributed to ensuring the  fairness of trade environment.  
5.11.   Regarding the reform and equitization of state -owned ente rprises, the Government of 
Viet Nam is actively implemen ting necessary measures for these enterprises to operate more 
effectively  while also facilitating other types of companies to participate more in industries previously 
dominated by state -owned enterprises, such as telecommunication and banking sectors. For  
example, in the banking sector, Viet Nam's banking system now has a diverse presence of various 
types of ownership, in which foreign investors can participate in many forms such as 100% 
foreign -owned banks, branches, joint ventures, capital contribution t o buy shares in Vietnamese 
joint stock commercial banks and commercial banks held by the state with 50% or more of charter 
capital.  
5.12.   It can be said that although there are still state -owned enterprises operating here and there 
in different fields, these ent erprises do not enjoy any privileges and incentives, and they must 
compete equally with other economic sectors, including foreign enterprises.  
5.13.   Regarding intellectual property, in recent years, Viet Nam has made efforts to amend relevant 
legal documents, na mely the amendment of the Law on Intellectual Property and guiding documents 
to create a complete legal basis to strengthen combating and handling intellectual property 
infringement activities, including strengthening state management and effective enforce ment of 
copyright and related rights, especially in the network environment. The Law amending the Law on 
Intellectual Property will be submitted to the National Assembly XV for assessment at the 2nd 
Session (in October 2021) and is expected to be passed at  its 3rd Session (in May 2022).  
5.14.   The amendments of the Law on Intellectual Property aim to strengthen the management, 
combating and handling intellectual property infringements while ensuring  Viet Nam’s  compatibility 
with high -level commitments when joining  new-generation FTAs (including the CPTPP, EVFTA and 
UKVFTA). Accordingly, these regulations will apply not only to partner countries participating in these 
above -mentioned FTAs, but also to all WTO Members based on the MFN principle. In addition, in 
order  to create favo urable  conditions for the implementation, especially the enforcement of 
intellectual property rights, Viet Nam is amending a number of decrees and circulars to detail and WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  provide guidance to the implementation of the amendments of the Law on Intellectual Property, for 
example, clarifying the grounds for determining acts, nature and seriousness of intellectual property 
rights infringement in the amended contents of the Law on Intellectual Property,  and clearly identify 
the scope , responsibil ities and fines of administrative agencies to avoid overlap and to be in line with 
the Law on Handling Administrative Violations.  
5.15.   Regarding copyright, currently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is actively 
developing a Dossier of proposals for accession to three  international treaties on copyright and 
related rights, including: the Marrakesh Treaty; the World Intellectual Property Organization 
Copyright Treaty (WCT Treaty); and  the World Intellectual Property Organization Performances and 
Phonog rams Treaty (WPPT Treaty). In addition , the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the 
Ministry of Information and Communications are also drafting a joint programme to collaborate in 
strengthening the protection of copyright and related rights in cyb erspace for the period 2021 -2025.  
5.16.   On draft legislations related to  cybersecurity and personal information protection, Viet Nam is 
currently in the process of public consultation on the Portals of the Government. The Drafting 
Committee of the Decree will consolidate all feedback, listen to multidimensional opinions from both 
domestic and international stakeholders in the spirit of open -mindedness, in order to advise the 
government on developing, promulgating this Decree with comprehensive, feasible, strict content 
which is aligned with Viet Nam's characteristi cs, conditions and requirements while  ensuring 
compliance to international laws and treaties of which Viet Nam is a member.  
5.17.   Regarding the Decree on management, provision and use of radio and television services, a 
draft revised Decree has been submitted to the Government of Viet Nam for consideration and 
adoption . Accordingly, the revised Decree was developed with the aim of promoting national cultural 
values, creating an equal business environment, towa rds simplifying administrative procedures, with 
clear, specific regulations and transparency . 
5.18.   Regarding the Decree on advertising, the draft Decree has been submitted to the Prime 
Minister for consideration and adoption . This draft has essentially addresse d issues of concern to 
WTO Members, especially the requirement that cross -border advertising businesses must operate 
via cooperation with domestic advertising businesses.  
5.19.   On pharmaceuticals -related measures, Viet Nam has recently received feedback from a 
number of countries with regards to regulations on drug regulatory authorities as per Circular 
No. 32/2018/TT -BYT on marketing authorization of drugs and medicinal ingredie nts. Such 
regulations are to ensure quality monitoring of imported medicines in the ultimate pursuit of public 
health protection. This is the result of Vietnamese authorities having evaluated applications for 
medicine marketing authorization based on techn ical guidance from ASEAN, from international 
organizations  such as the International Conference for Harmonization  of Technical Requirements for 
Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), and those amongst WHO's recommended list of agencies.  
5.20.   Concerning the effect ive duration of drug marketing authorizations, the Ministry of Health has 
issued documents allowing authorizations with expiry date on 31 December 2021 to be extended for 
another 12 months  if they fulfill  specific requirements. In addition , Viet Nam is making every effort  
to process applications for new and renewed drug marketing authorizations from businesses. In 
particular , the Ministry of Health has been prioritizing its resources and expertise to process renewal 
applications of drugs approaching expiry.  
5.21.   On export restraining measures, Viet Nam confirms that there exists  no current export 
restriction  on food products. Any restriction or restraining measure applied  will only be circumstantial 
and on  a temporary basis, in the short term with full notification to  the WTO.  
5.22.   On SPS, Viet Nam always strives to strictly comply with regulations on transparency. All SPS 
measures, in principle, have been developed based on scientific evidence and recommendations  
from international organizations.  
5.23.   Regarding TBT, Viet Nam has been persistently promoting enhancement in harmonization  rate 
between the national standards system and regional, and international counterparts. Since 2013, 
such rate in Viet Nam has raised fr om 40% to 60%. Viet Nam affirms the promulgation of technical WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  standards and regulations, and conformity assessment procedures are not to create barriers to 
trade.  
5.24.   In terms of fisheries subsidies, Viet Nam has been and will continue participating in active  
discussions on this issue, with the aim of reaching a substantial outcome at the incoming MC12.  
5.25.   On SME support measures, since most businesses in Viet Nam are SMEs with limited 
competitiveness, the Government has been exercising  a number of support measure s for this group  
of enterprises . These measures are in the form of consulting on procedures related to technical, 
quality, measurement standards, and regulations; piloting and fine -tuning new products, new 
business models; support on training and provision  of market insights, etc. Nonetheless, Viet Nam 
affirms all of these measures are not out of line with WTO policies as well as Viet N am's international 
commitments.  
5.26.   In terms of gender equality, the Government of Viet Nam always attaches great importance 
to and has been making every effort to implement it. Viet Nam has issued the National Strategy on 
Gend er Equality for the period 2011 -2020 with the aim of raising awareness, narrowing the gender 
gap and enhancing the status of women; actively implement inter national and regional initiatives to 
promote the protection of women's rights and combat discrimination against women. The goal of 
equality between men and women and empowering women, one of the three millennium 
development goals (MDG 2013), was completed by Viet Nam before the deadline of 2015, making 
Viet Nam one of the countries removing gender gap th e fastest in the past 20 years.  
5.27.   Vietnamese women account for over 60% of the population and almost 50% of the work force, 
consistently increasing their invo lvement in every activity in society. The proportion of women 
participating  in Viet Nam's 14th National Assembly (term 2016 -2021) reached 26.8%, bringing 
Viet Nam into the group of countries with  the highest female representation in  the National Assembly 
in the region and the w orld. Women currently are empowered in many key executive positions of 
the state such as Member s of the Politburo, Vice President of the State, Ministers, and Vice Ministers. 
In municipalities, many women take leading  roles at various  levels, fields, contributing to address 
important issues. Number of businesswomen from ethnic minorities has increased, especially in the 
fields of education, healthcare, public health. The role of women  from ethnic minorities has 
increasingly expanded.  
5.28.   Notably , almost all state authorities have formed  Gender Equity Working Group s. I myself am 
in charge of the Gender Equity Working Group of the MOIT and we have certain  goals to achieve of 
female leadership  in our workplace. 
5.29.   Regarding participation in the GPA and ITA2 as well as in itiatives and negotiations on 
e-commerce, and investment facilitation, Viet Nam is actively, rigorously, and comprehensively 
looking into the  benefits  and Viet Nam's ability in fulfilling these requirements  in order to make a 
final decision . 
5.30.   Finally, regarding detailed questions that Viet Nam has received in written form, we will make 
every effort to sending these answers to the Members as per WTO regulations. Viet Nam will continue 
to support the multilateral trading system with t he WTO as the focal center ; promote the 
liberalization of an open, transparent, rule -based trade; and to implement rigorously international 
commitments in the WTO and in the Free Trade Agreements of which Viet Nam is a member. We 
also wish to work closely with Members to promote cooperation as well as  WTO reform in the coming 
time. Thank you  very much . 
DISCUSSANT  
5.31.   The first day of Viet Nam's Trade Policy Review has proven to be productive. WTO Members 
posed more than 850 written questions in advance of t he m eeting and I counted over 
43 interventions last Tuesday. The active engagement of WTO Members in this Trade Policy Review 
is a clear indication of the growing importance of Viet Nam within the multilateral trading system. 
For many Members , Viet Nam has bec ome an important trading partner and one of the most 
important in the region.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  5.32.   WTO Members commended Viet Nam for its strong economic growth over the past decades 
and in the period under review. The adoption of domestic reforms and further integration into the 
world economy have enabled Viet Nam to foster trade as a driver of economi c growth and poverty 
reduction.  
5.33.   WTO Members praised Viet Nam's support to the rules -based multilateral trading system and 
to the work of this O rganization. Members welcomed Viet Nam's engagement in the negotiations on 
fisheries and in the informal working  group on MSMEs. Members referred to Viet Nam's accession to 
the Trade Facilitation Agreement and for the submission of its instrument of acceptance for the 
amendment of the TRIPS Agreement. Moreover, Viet Nam has become a party to numerous bilateral 
and r egional trade agreements during the period under review.  
5.34.   During the first day of this Trade Policy Review, some WTO Members encouraged Viet Nam to 
consider becoming a party to the Government Procurement Agreement and participating in the 
informal working g roup on Trade and Gender. Furthermore, some Members invited Viet Nam to join 
the Joint Statement Initiative negotiations on E -commerce, Investment Facilitation and Domestic 
Regulation.  
5.35.   WTO Members commended Viet Nam for its domestic reforms to dismantle t he largely planned 
economy, open up a closed economy to international markets and trade, and to initiate pro -business 
reforms. Viet Nam's reforms of its Enterprise and Investment Laws have resulted in a significant 
improvement of the business environment. This is also highlighted by the p rogress made in the WEF 
Global Competitiveness Index and the World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking.  
5.36.   Some Members indicated that further action is warranted to allow Viet Nam to reach its full 
potential. Room for furthe r improvement of Viet Nam's trade and investment climate still exists, for 
example through streamlining customs procedures, the use of international standards and the 
reform of Viet Nam's state sector. Members referred to the importance of the protection o f 
intellectual property rights to facilitate innovation and economic development. Furthermore, 
Members encouraged Viet Nam to strengthen its attempts to combat fraud, corruption and illicit 
trade.  
5.37.   Madam Chair, this will conclude my summary of the first day  of Viet Nam's second Trade 
Policy Review.  
5.38.   Deputy Minister, allow me to compliment you and the entire Vietnamese delegation with a 
successful Trade Policy Review. Thank you.  
EUROPEAN  UNION  
5.39.   Let me first thank Viet Nam for the comprehensive overview present ed on Tuesday of the 
main economic and trade -related developments during the review period.  
5.40.   The E U is pleased to note that this R eview has been very useful for better understanding of 
Viet Nam’s trade policy and hopes that it will duly take into account s ome of the challenges 
highlighted by Members.  
5.41.   The EU appreciates the timely replies provided to most of our questions and would also be 
grateful to receive replies to the following EU questions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 21, 26, 30, 
31, 32, 33 and 34 . 
5.42.   The EU has submitted three follow -up questions related to Viet Nam’s cybersecurity law and 
rules on alcoholic beverages and we look forward to the replies in due course.  
5.43.   On behalf of the EU, I would like to thank again the delegation of Viet Nam for undertaking 
this demanding but important transparency exercise despite of challenging circumstances and for 
the constructive participation.  
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  UNITED  STATES  
5.44.   The United States w ould very much like to thank Viet Nam’s delegation, led by H.E. Deputy  
Minister Tran Quoc Khanh, for the work which h as gone into Viet Nam’s second Trade Policy Review. 
As mentioned on Day One, Viet Nam is a valued U.S. trading partner which is demonstrated by the 
continued strengthening of our bilateral trade relationship since Viet Nam’s accession to the WTO in 
2007.  
5.45.   We would like to again note our appreciation of Viet Nam’s active engagement and partnership 
as a cosponsor of the proposed MC12 , SPS Declaration and Work Program.  
5.46.   The United States reiterates our support for Viet Nam to fully implement the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement, beginning with the establishment of Viet Nam’s Nationa l Trade Facilitation 
Committee.  We note with interest V iet Nam’s partnership with the Global Alliance for Trade 
Facilitation to develop a modern customs bond system for th e conditional release of goods.  With 
support from USAID’s Trade Facilitation Project, Viet Nam is now regularly reviewing its progress to 
implement its TFA category B and C commitments and is developing a forward -looking plan to ensure 
timely notifications.  
5.47.   We would urge Viet Nam to consider joining  the WTO Communication entitled  Supporting the 
Timely and Efficient Release of Global Goods Thr ough Accelerated Implementation of the WTO Trade 
Facilitation Agreement (G/TFA/W/25).  
5.48.   The United States also recognizes that Viet Nam has issued a number of measures to address 
origin fraud and illegal tra nsit of goods through Viet Nam.  We look forward to updates on these 
measures and the actions taken by Viet Nam to address them.  
5.49.   We would like to again reiterate our significant concerns with certain existing and proposed 
measures that may undermine the provision of services foundational to the digital fut ure, which are 
frequently pro vided on a cross -border basis. An example is the draft implementing decree for the 
Law on Cybersecurity that includes data localization and local presence requirements and a draft 
Decree on Personal Data Protection  which we hig hlighted on day one. The United States would 
appreciate updates from Viet Nam on the status of these measures.  
5.50.   The United States maintains concerns regarding SPS measures by  Viet Nam that restrict trade. 
We have posed a number of questions on food safety,  pre-clearance and post -clearance inspections, 
animal health, maximum residue limits, pesticides, as well as the risk assessment and the propose d 
domestic ban for glyphosate. We look forward to receiving and reviewing Viet Nam’s responses.  
5.51.   We also would l ike to stress the importance of Viet Nam responding to official questions 
submitted by the United States, and note our concern that more than a third of our official questions 
were unanswered. We request that Viet Nam provide responses to these questions, in addition to 
our follow -up questions, as soon as possible and no later than the deadline.  
5.52.   Further, the US recognizes efforts by the Government of Viet Nam to strengthen elements of 
its intellectual property regime, including efforts to amend the Law on I ntellectual Property and 
continuing public awareness camp aigns and training activities. However, the United States continues 
to have several concerns, including Viet Nam’s heavy reliance on administrative enforcement 
actions, lack of coordination among min istries and agencies responsible for enforcement, and 
widespread cou nterfeiting and online piracy. We would appreciate updates on Viet Nam’s plans to 
further strengthen its IP framework, including through upcoming revisions to the IP Law, and 
enhanced enfo rcement efforts.  
5.53.   The United States also recognizes Viet Nam’s active engagement in the fisheries subsidies 
negotiations, and we welcome working together with Viet Nam and other Members to a chieve a 
meaningful agreement. We recognize Viet Nam’s efforts to r eform its subsidy programs and prohibit 
the most harmful fisheries subsidies.  
5.54.   We appreciate the opportunity provided by this meeting to discuss Viet Nam’s trade and 
investment policies. We look forward to Viet Nam’s full responses to our questions, to wor king WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  together to resolve outstanding issues and further strengthen our bilatera l relationship, and to 
continue  good cooperation here at the WTO and in ASEAN, APEC, and other fora.  
JAPAN  
5.55.   Japan really appreciates the efforts made by Viet Nam and also appreci ates the remarks this 
morning made by H.E. Tran Quoc Khanh.  
5.56.   Japan provided additional written questions yesterday and we would like  to receive the 
answers in due course.  
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  6  CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
6.1.  This second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam has provided an excellent opportunity for the 
Trade Policy Review Body to deepen our understanding of the main developments in Viet Nam's 
economic, trade and investment policies since 2013. I would like to thank the delegation of Viet  Nam, 
headed by H.E. Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, for its participation in 
this Review, which has taken place under unusual and challenging  circumstances due to the 
COVID -19 pandemic. I also wish to than k our discussant H.E. Ambassador Monique Van Daalen for 
her insightful remarks, the 31 Members who submit ted written questions and the 43  delegations 
that took the floor during this meeting. The large number of questions and the active participation 
during  the meeting reflect Members' substantive interest in Viet Nam's trade and investment policies 
and practices.  
6.2.  Members appreciated Viet Nam's economic and trade performance during the review period 
and the progress made in poverty reduction through sustaine d export -led growth, which is a 
continuation to the structural reform initiated 35 years ago. Members commended Viet Nam for its 
increased participation in global value chains and were keen to learn about its experience on how to 
facilitate an enabling bus iness environment in this regard. Members noted that Viet Nam recently 
moved to the group of 20 largest traders among WTO Members. They expressed the hope that 
Viet Nam will keep the momentum of its reform agenda, maintain its active engagement in the 
multilateral system, and make its trade inclusive for all.  
6.3.  Viet Nam's economic resilience to the impact of COVID -19 pandemic, as exemplified by the 
2.9% GDP growth in 2020, was also recognized. Delegations expr essed interest in learning 
Viet Nam's policies to foster women's participation in the economy; this information was considered 
to be useful for Members to develop best practices. Members were also interested in Viet Nam's 
support for small - and medium -sized enterprises.  
6.4.  Members appreciated Viet Nam's cont ribution to the multilateral trading system and welcomed 
its ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in 2015 and of the amendment to the TRIPS 
Agreement in 2017. Some Members invited Viet Nam to make substantive commitments in the 
ongoing fishery subsidies negotiations and the MC12 deliverables. Viet Nam is a party of the Joint 
Statement Initiative on micro, small and medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs). Mem bers invited 
Viet Nam to explore the possibility of joining other initiatives, such as on inves tment facilitation for 
development, e -commerce, and domestic regulation on services.  
6.5.  Several delegations noted that some notifications from Viet Nam are missing or not up -to-date 
in the areas of, inter alia , agriculture domestic support and export subsidi es, and customs procedures 
and valuation. Members looked forward to improvements in this regard.  
6.6.  Members noticed improvements in the business environment since the last Review. Some 
Members expressed concern that the structural reform is not yet complete and urged Viet Nam to 
further reduce red tape, adopt more predictable tax policies, increase trans parency in administrative 
procedures, and simplify appraisal procedures for investment projects.  
6.7.  A robust manufacturing sector has become the main driver of Viet Nam's trade competitiveness 
in recent years. Members highlighted that the services sector may  also be a source for sustained 
productivity and economic growth. For instance, the expanding trade in ICT apparatus and 
equipment was coupled with a rapid development of the telecommunications market. Furthermore, 
the government announced its interest in promoting and devel oping a thriving market for ICT -related 
services. Despite these positive developments, Members raised concerns about potential restrictions 
in draft legislation, including personal data protection, data localization, and local presence 
requirements, which might limit the market access for foreign service providers. Regarding ICT 
products, Viet Nam was urged to join the expanded ITA.  
6.8.  Acknowledging that state -owned enterprises still have a predominant role in key sectors, such 
as banking, t elecommunications, and transport, Members welcomed the recently enacted framework 
for public -private partnerships (PPP), notably for the development of transport infrastructure. 
Members called for further relaxation of foreign equity caps in restricted sec tors to fully exploit their 
potentials while offering new opportunities for foreign investors.  WT/TPR/M/410  • Viet Nam  
 
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  6.9.  Members appraised the adoption of modern regimes for public procurement and intellectual 
property during the review period. Taking note of Viet Nam's commitments  made under recent 
regional trade agreements, delegations encouraged Viet Nam to consider becoming a party to the 
Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Recent efforts to promo te IP awareness and use in 
Viet Nam were recognized, while delegations encourag ed it to step up actions to combat IP 
infringement, particularly given the rise of the digital economy.  
6.10.   The development of e -government initiatives in Viet Nam, the modernization of customs 
administration through the national single  window, and the electr onic customs clearance, were also 
praised by Members. Nonetheless, Members perceived that further simplifying and streamlining the 
implementation of some border measures, such as tariff rate quotas on specific products, reference 
pricing, and customs valua tion methods, still require further attention by the authorities.  
6.11.   Viet Nam's commitment towards harmonization of its national standards with international 
ones was welcomed. In this regard, Members suggested Viet Nam to continue increasing the 
harmonizati on of its standards, in particular for pharmaceuticals products, as well as to reconsider 
the implementation of standards and regulations which may become obstacles to trade.  
6.12.   Prior to the meeting, Viet Nam received more than 850 written questions and answe red most 
of these questions. Viet Nam's responses were much appreciated and its replies to any late 
submissions and follow -up questions are expected in a month, at which time the second Trade Policy 
Review of Viet Nam will successfully conclude. I trust th at the Vietnamese authorities will take into 
account the many constructive comments and specific issues raised in this Review, as they continue 
to adapt their trade and investment policies in light of their policy objective of becoming a developed 
and high -income country by 2045.  
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