RESTRICTED  
  
WT/TPR/W/192  
21 June 2021  
(21-5029) Page: 1/60 
Trade Policy Review Body    
 
* In Original language only/ En langue originale seulement /En el idioma original solamente . 
  
VIET NAM 
DRAFT MINUTES  OF THE MEETING* HELD ON 27 AND 29 APRIL 2021  
Delegations are invited to submit factual corrections, if any, on their own statement to the 
Secretariat ( Mrs Barbara Blanquart: barbara.blanquart@wto.org , or to  tprd@wto.org ) no later 
than 5 July 2021 . 
 
Organe d'examen des politiques commerciales  
 
VIET NAM 
PROJET DE COMPTE RENDU DE LA RÉUNION* TENUE LES 27 ET 29 AVRIL 2021  
Les délégations sont invitées à soumettre  leurs éventuelles corrections factuelles concernant leurs 
propres déclarations au Secrétariat ( Mme Barbara Blanquart: barbara.blanquar t@wto.org , ou 
tprd@wto.org ) le 5 juillet 2021  au plus tard.  
 
Órgano de Examen de las Políticas Comerciales  
 
VIET NAM 
PROYECTO DE ACTA DE LA REUNIÓN* CELEBRADA LOS DÍAS 27 Y 29 DE ABRIL DE 2021  
Las delegaciones pueden enviar a la Secretaría (Sr a. Barbara Blanquart: 
barbara.blanquart@wto.org , o tprd@wto.org ) a más tardar el 5 de julio de 2021  las correcciones 
fácticas que deseen introducir en sus propias declaraciones.  
 
 
_______________  
 
  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  TRADE POLICY REVIEW  
 
VIET NAM 
DRAFT  MINUTES OF THE MEETING  
Chairperson: H.E. Dr Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme (Botswana)  
CONTENTS  
 
1   INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .....................  3 
2   OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF VIET NAM HANH)  ......................  5 
3   STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT  ................................ ................................ ..............  8 
4   STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS  ................................ ................................ .......................  12 
5   REPLIES BY THE  REPRESENTATIVE OF VIET NAM AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS  ..... 52 
6   CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .......................  59 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  1  INTRODUCTORY 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 Minister of Industry and Trade ; H.E. Ambassador 
Mrs. Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to t he WTO; the rest of the delegation 
from Ha  Noi; and the discussant, H.E. Ambassador Mrs. Monique Van 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 Noi 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; Australia; 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 made 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 f irst 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 nearly 6%.  
1.7.  During the review period, Viet Nam deepened  its participation in global 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 electroni cs, in total exports had almost doubled.  
1.8.  In the government report, 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 wished to learn th e experience from Viet Nam on how to successfully engage in GVCs. 
Viet Nam shared 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 o f 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 i nvestment.  
1.11.   During the review 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 remained 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 this 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 mat ter 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/W/ 192 • 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 wished 
to know more about Viet Nam's efforts 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 o ver the 
perceived lack of information on government assistance to agriculture and 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 inten tion 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 issues arising from Members' advance questions included: 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 environment for the 
pharmaceutical industry. Some of these had already been raised du ring the previous Review, 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 multilat eral trading system.  
1.18.   It was also an opportune moment for Viet Nam to update the Membership on the impact of 
the COVID -19 pandemic on its economy and measures it had taken in response. The Chairperson 
looked forward to a fruitful exchange.  
1.19.   The Chairperson c losed her introductory remarks by wishing Viet Nam a very successful 
second Trade Policy Review.  
  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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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 Geneva.  
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 awkward 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 reflect ing WTO's 
fundamental principle of transparency. Leading up to today's session, 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 w ritten form. With those responses, as 
well as the direct questions at today's session, we hope that WTO Members 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 context, 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%. Seven 
years later, this number has rea ched 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 rock eted 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" policy i n 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 traders in goods, Viet Nam recorded the larges t 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, thanks 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 
achieveme nts 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 significant 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 economie s 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, Viet Nam has also achi eved tremendous results in 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 49th place in 2018 and 2020, respectively. These economic 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/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  2.9.  The aforementioned achievements were not made overnight; rather, 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 producti vity; 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 international 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 an d 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 agencies 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 business 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 accumulation 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 conditio ns 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 online public services. F urthermore, 
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 days annually, equiva lent to VND 6,300 trillion. Ministries and 
localities have also implemented the one 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 59t h 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 
connectiv ity between both domestic regions, and paving the way for international trade.  
2.13.   With our efforts in improving the business environment, according to the World Bank, 
Viet Nam's Ease of Doing Business Rank has made great strides. Specifically, if Viet Nam ran ked 
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 globa l 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 and depth of commitment s, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for 
Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU -Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the 
UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA). Our participation in these FTAs once again stands 
testimony to Vie t 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 Chairmanship of APEC in 20 17 and the Chairmanship 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 challenges 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/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  2.17.   Moving forward, following such solid foundations and achievements, Viet Nam will continue 
to promote trade policies in a mo re 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 
contin ue to innovate and improve our development and strictly enforce the law, ensuring 
consistency, feasibility, modernity and international competitiveness. The government will continue 
to operate synchronously and flexibly macro policies to stabilize the macr o-economy, control 
inflation, support sustainable economic growth, and stabilize the currency and foreign exchange 
markets, whilst implementing the sustainable development goals under the United Nations 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regarding th e 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 mor e active in the affairs of the 
WTO with the immediate goal of achieving substantive results at the 12th WTO Ministerial Meeting 
to be held this late November -early December. In addition, Viet Nam will also focus on the effective 
and comprehensive implement ation 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.  
  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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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 participate today as discussant in 
Viet Nam's second Trade 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 multilateral tra ding system provides, 
Viet Nam has been able to develop into a middle -income country with a young and growing 
population and a vibrant economy. Viet Nam's economic development has proven to be an example 
for many other countries. Moreover, these experience s 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 Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh for his thought -provoking 
introductory remarks.  
Economic and trading development  
3.5.  Thirty -five years ago, the Vietnamese Government initiated the Doi Moi. The Doi Moi is the 
economic reform process that dismantled the largely planned 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 the early 1990s to below 6% in 2019. 
During the period under review, GDP per capita rose quickly from almost USD 1,90 0 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 facilitated Viet Nam's participation in global value chains, first as an exporter of low -tech 
manufactured goods and l ater more complex high -tech goods. It is impressive that both imports and 
exports more than doubled over the period under review. Labour productivity grew at a no less 
staggering pace of 65% in six years.  
3.8.  Some challenges, however, remain. In order to sust ain the transition 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 workforce, 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 manufacturing sector is highly 
export -oriented.  
3.10.   In the remaining part of my interven tion, 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/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  State -owned enterprises  
3.11.   As the reports note, the econo my of Viet Nam is defined by its Constitution as a 
socialist -oriented market economy. It is characterized by economic dualism combining government 
planning with free -market incentives. Although extensive market reforms have already been carried 
out, the 20 13 report mentioned the need to intensify the restructuring of state -owned enterprises. 
In their questions during this Trade Policy Review 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 price 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 commercial banks. State -owned enterprises also 
dominate the telecommunications market, including the delivery of internet ser vices.  
3.13.   In 2019, the Prime Minister of Viet Nam approved the overall project on economic 
restructuring. The Government 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 national specifics of these measures, I do believe that we, the WTO community, can 
draw inspiration from the course of action ta ken 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 agreements, Viet Nam has recently become Party to the CPTPP -Agreement and RCEP. In 
addition, the Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the European Union entered into force 
on 1 August 2020 and the EU -Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreeme nt is in the process of 
ratification.  
3.15.   These agreements offer the EU and Viet Nam good opportunities to exchange views on how 
to promote trade for sustainable development: trade for the benefit of all, companies both big and 
small, women and men alike, whi le 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 N am 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 towar ds committing to WTO disciplines on government procurement and opening up additional 
opportunities for Vietnamese businesses.  
Investment  
3.17.   Viet Nam's investment regime has been substantially revised since its previous Review in 
2013. By updating its legal f ramework, Viet Nam intends to equalize the treatment accorded to 
Vietnamese and foreign investors and to attract more foreign direct 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 electronic multinationals and apparel producers engaged in 
processing and final assembly. The investment in these segments is po sitively correlated to 
productivity. An IMF working paper shows that Viet Nam's deep engagement in global value chains 
improves the capacity of local firms that supply those foreign -owned firms.  
3.19.   Despite these positive developments, opportunities to furthe r 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, t elecoms and transport. Approval from the Prime Minister is required for WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  specific investment projects, including all projects valued at more 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.   Services are the main sector in the Vietnamese economy. But trade in services remains a 
very small component of Viet Nam's for eign trade. Viet Nam imports more services than it exports.  
3.21.   In light of the growing productivity in the services sector, there is good reason 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 Initiatives in services. 
Joining these negotiations may give further impetus to Viet Nam's services sector. Recently, Th ailand 
and Australia gave a presentation on similarities between Domestic Regulation provisions in the 
RCEP Agreement and the JSI. It appears 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 cruci al for this 
sector and the export of manufactured goods is crucial for the Vietnamese 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 during the review 
period. Apart from textiles, Viet Nam has emerged as an important manufacturing center 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 inte rmediate 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 Agreement. 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 product s rose more than the export of any other product 
group. Viet Nam's share in the world exports of ITA -2 expansion products is also increasing. 
Viet Nam has, however, not yet decided to join the 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 objectives of sustainable economic growth and 
integration. The developme nt 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 Member s 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 localization and local 
presence requirements as well as regarding the pro tection of personal data.  
Outlook  
3.28.   Viet Nam's prospects are promising. Viet Nam's Report states that it strives to become, by 
2030, a developing country with modern industry, high -average income, efficient and effective WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  institutions, and a dynamic and sust ainable 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 hopeful 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 delegation a 
productive Trade Policy Review. Thank you.  
  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4  STATEMENTS BY M EMBERS  
ISRAEL  
4.1.  Israel would like to thank you, the discussant, H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen 
(Netherlands), and the Secretariat for the detailed reports. Israel also welcomes Mr. Tran Quoc 
Khanh, as the Head of delegation. Although in modern history the ties between our two countries 
can be traced back to the 70s, Israel and Viet Nam’s formal relations 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 bilateral trade between Israel and Viet Nam is growing steadily, reflecting a growing mutual 
interest of both business and industrial sectors. Bilateral tr ade between Israel and Viet Nam reached 
USD 1,135 million 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 between the two countries 
stood at USD 791 million du ring 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 bilateral trade profile is one reason why Israeli companies are interested in 
agriculture, investment, startups, applying technology in production, cybe rsecurity, and information 
technology.  
4.5.  Our interest in capitalizing and mutually benefiting from increased 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 platform for enhanced 
cooperation in various areas of trade.  
4.6.  During this TPR exercise, Israel submitted so me 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 t o the Organization's 
success. In that sense, Israel encourages Viet Nam to join the other JSIs it is not participating 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 access ion in this agreement. It could be the first step in increasing 
participation in the agreement across the region 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 and contributions towards our work at the WTO with a view towards a successful 
Ministerial Conference.  
4.10.   Finally, Israel looks forward to continuing ou r collaboration with Viet Nam 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 Mini stry of Industry and Trade to their second Trade Policy Review. We 
thank Viet Nam for its government report and statement. We would also like to thank WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  H.E. Ambassador Monique T.G. Van Daalen of the Netherlands for her role as discussant and the 
WTO Secreta riat for its comprehensive report.  
4.12.   Viet Nam has been an ASEAN Member State 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, desp ite the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID -
19 pandemic, it 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 economic 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 comme nds 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 20 19, largely 
in part due to the strong and clear vision that the Vietnamese leadership has instituted, and 
determination in which they have implemented important market reforms.  
4.14.   We note from the Secretariat’s report that Viet Nam’s economic expansion in rec ent years 
was underpinned by robust domestic demand and manufacturing 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 reflect s 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 internati onal economic integration as a key driver for its 
institutional improvement, economic growth, and development. ASEAN appreciates the importance 
Viet Nam attached to its WTO Membership since its accession in 2007. We also recognize Viet Nam’s 
active engagem ent and commitment to the rules -based multilateral trading system which 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 discussio ns 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 comm itment to uphold an open, 
inclusive, transparent, non -discriminatory 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 thank the delegation in Viet Nam for their constructive engagement and 
commend the contribution 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 Review.  
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 WTO 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 wa s further 
strengthened in 2019 when our bilateral relations were elevated to a “Comprehensive Partnership”. 
This partnership spans a wide range of areas of cooperation including trade, energy, agriculture and 
fisheries, labour, education, defense, 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/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.22.   Regionally, as a fellow member of ASEAN, Viet Nam has played a leading role in the 
Organizati on, particularly as Chair of ASEAN last year during a period of unprecedented 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 exa mple which Brunei Darussalam 
appreciatively looks up to in our chairmanship 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 o f 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 multilat eral trading system, as 
embodied by the WTO, and supported by organizations 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 ye ars into a strong “lower -middle -income emerging economy”, lifting 
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 on 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 insightful reports shared with the Members in advance of today's R eview. We are also grateful 
to the discussant, 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 country 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 with 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 contribute 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 priva te 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 Ministry of Public Security issued the Draft Decree on Personal Data 
Protection. We expect the implementation of the Decree to be consistent with GATS Article 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/W/ 192 • 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 im posing 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 prote ction.  
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 Po licy 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 efforts 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 context 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 2013. The revision of both the Enterprise Law 
and the Investment Law in July 2015,  meant to equalize business 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 transparency 
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 Procurement (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 exemptio ns or liberalization of existing requirements for foreign 
investment or participation of foreign service suppliers in order to help with the continued 
development of Viet Nam’s transportation system.  
4.40.   Thirdly, regarding intellectual property rights, we ackn owledge Viet Nam’s ongoing legislative 
and administrative updates and reforms, such as its progress in addressing online piracy and its 
revised Law on Technology Transfer. 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 addition, we would 
encourage Viet Nam to actively participate in the phase II work of the B uenos 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 regulation.  
4.42.   We have submitted written questions that reflect some of the concerns raised t oday. 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/W/ 192 • 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 appreciate to H.E. Mrs. Monique Van Daalen for her meaningful 
analysis.  
4.45.   Ukraine commends Viet Nam for its positiv e 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 deep attention to processes of international 
economic integration as a key driver for its i nstitutional improvement, economic growth, and 
development.  
4.47.   At a multilateral level, Ukraine appreciates Viet Nam’s viewpoint to support a fair, open and 
rule-based multilateral trading system.  
4.48.   In terms of bilateral trade relations, Viet Nam is a prospect ive trading partner of Ukraine.  
4.49.   In 2020, the Ukrainian -Vietnamese trade in goods amounted to USD 644.6 million ( ↑ 22.5% 
comparably to 2019). The volume of bilateral trade in agricultural products amounted 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 Secretariat,  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 app ly 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 prohibitions  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 receive replies to the outstanding questions and wish the delegation 
of Viet Nam a successful TPR.  
CHILE  
4.53.   Saludamos cordialmente y damos la bienvenida a la delegación de Viet Nam, encabezada por 
el honourable, Sr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Viceministro de Industria y Comercio.  
4.54.   Saludamos también a la Misión de Viet Nam ante la OMC en Ginebra, dirigida por la 
embajadora Le Thi Tuyet Mai, a la embajadora Van Daalen (países bajos) quien será la ponente en 
este Examen, así como a la Secretaría a la cual, además, agradecemos por el informe preparado 
para este ejercicio.  
4.55.   El 25 de marzo pasad o, Viet Nam y Chile celebraron 50 años de relaciones diplomáticas. 
Nuestro país fue la segunda nación latinoamericana que instaló una embajada en dicho país, lo que 
permitió un acercamiento entre nuestras naciones a pesar de la distancia geográfica que nos  separa.  
4.56.   Tenemos importantes coincidencias que nos unen, tales como la lucha contra el cambio 
climático, la protección del océano y la conservación del medio ambiente.  
4.57.   La amistad entre nuestras naciones se ha traducido no sólo al amplio apoyo de nuestro país 
al ingreso de Viet Nam al APEC y a esta Casa, sino que también posibilitó que nuestras naciones WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  firmaran hace diez años un tratado de libre comercio, siendo Chile el  primer país fuera de ASEAN 
que logró concluir un tratado de forma independiente con Vietnam. Hoy somos socios en el CPTPP.  
4.58.   Viet Nam y Chile apoyan firmemente el sistema multilateral de comercio y el rol de la OMC, 
participando activamente en las diversas negociaciones en curso, incluyendo las relacionadas a las 
prohibiciones a los subsidios a la pesca y el grupo de trabajo informal sobre MiPymes. En mi condición 
de coordinador de la Iniciativa Conjunta sobre Facilitación de Inversiones, nos encantaría tene r 
pronto a Viet Nam como participante. Por lo mismo, quisiera preguntarle a la delegación de Viet 
Nam si están en proceso de evaluar dicha participación y cuándo estiman que se tomará la decisión.  
4.59.   Para este Examen hemos formulado 10 preguntas en áreas com o adaptación de su industria 
forestal, procedimientos aduaneros y materias arancelarias, participación en las cadenas globales 
de valor y la incorporación de la perspectiva de género. Agradecemos las respuestas entregadas, 
las cuales se están analizando po r nuestros equipos técnicos en capital.  
4.60.   En relación a los informes circulados para este Examen, quisiéramos destacar los avances en 
las tasas de crecimiento de Viet Nam aún a pesar de la pandemia. En este sentido, vemos 
positivamente que la Estrategia de E xportación e Importación para 2011 -2020, denominada “Visión 
2030” ha rendido frutos a mediano plazo.  
4.61.   Por su parte, quisiéramos también destacar las diversas iniciativas que está impulsando Viet 
Nam para fomentar el comercio inclusivo a través de su polític a comercial. En particular, quisiéramos 
celebrar aquellos programas que tienen como objetivo apoyar a las empresas que contratan 
trabajadores con discapacidad o una mayor proporción de mujeres; y el uso de la contratación 
pública como una herramienta para promover a las pequeñas y medianas empresas y asegurar el 
empleo de las mujeres.  
4.62.   En esa línea, cabe mencionar que durante su año APEC 2017, Viet Nam puso dentro de sus 
ejes de trabajo el crecimiento inclusivo y sustentable, la innovación, las PYMES y en g eneral, a las 
personas, todos los cuales fueron la base de las iniciativas que dos años después Chile planteó en 
su año APEC 2019. Asimismo, en el Año de Viet Nam se estableció el APEC Vision Group, que sesionó 
durante dos años y entregó sus recomendacione s sobre el futuro de APEC después de las metas de 
Bogor. En dicho proceso, quisiera destacar el liderazgo de la Embajadora Nga.  
4.63.   Por último, estamos interesados en las diversas iniciativas que están llevando a cabo para 
apoyar la economía y contrarrestar lo s efectos de la pandemia COVID -19, incluyendo los incentivos 
entregados para fomentar la participación en el comercio de todos los segmentos de la población.  
4.64.   Le deseamos Viet Nam una exitosa revisión de su política comercial.  
HONG  KONG,  CHINA  
4.65.   I would like to start by extending a warm welcome to Vietnamese 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 Sec retariat for the 
comprehensive report prepared for this Review.  
4.66.   Hong Kong, China congratulates Viet Nam on its robust growth in external trade, which 
amounted to USD 518 billion in 2019 and was more than six times its value in 2007 when Viet Nam 
joined th e 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 bi lateral trade volume between 
Hong Kong, China and 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 econ omic 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.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.69.   Viet Nam and Hong Kong, China are both staunch supporters of WTO and the rules -based 
multilateral trading system. We welcome opportunities 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.  
4.70.   Now let me turn to s everal specific areas in Viet Nam’s trade policies.  
4.71.   First, trade facilitation. We would commend Viet Nam’s continued effort in reforming its 
custom procedures. For example, Viet Nam has completed and enhanced its customs risk 
management, implemented post -clearance inspection in accordance with international 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 measures in response 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 
procedu res for goods in transit or transhipment. We applaud 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 agri cultural and non -agricultural products since the 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 encourage Viet Nam to further liberalize its 
agricultural sector.  
4.74.   Viet Nam has notified the WTO in August 2020 of its 20 -day export quota on rice amidst the 
COVID -19 pandemic. We appreciate Viet Nam’s effort in maintaining transparency, as well as its 
restraints in imposing this emergency agricultural mea sure. Meanwhile, we also note with concerns 
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 Viet Nam has continued to liberalize 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 and maritime transport services. We would encourage Viet Nam to consider removing 
these MFN exemptions and further promoting free trade and foreign investment in its se rvices 
sectors.  
4.76.   Hong Kong, China would like to reiterate our commitment to fostering our economic and trade 
cooperation with Viet Nam, and to collaborating with Viet Nam in pursuing progressive liberalization 
of international trade. We thank Viet Nam for its replies to some of our written questions and look 
forward to receiving other outstanding replies. We wish Viet Nam a successful Trade Policy Review.  
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 and Trade. I would also like to thank Ambassador 
Van Daalen for her valuable observations as a discussant, and the Secretariat for its substantive 
contribution to this Review.  
4.78.   It is a great pleasure for me to take the floor on this occasion, as Viet Nam and 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, an d 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 fastes t 
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 WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  good. As highlighted in the report of the Secretariat, Viet Nam’s p roactive measures helped mitigate 
the impact of the pandemic.  
4.80.   Viet Nam has integrated 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 proce ss 
of accession to the WTO. Today, 15 years later, Viet Nam also takes part in numerous free trade 
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 global 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 i n 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 tha t Viet Nam is embracing digital 
transformation 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 (IP) 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 Procuremen t Agreement in the near future. Membership 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 Rev iew 
and we thank Viet Nam for its replies. 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 informat ion provided in response to our questions, 
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 constructive 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 Review.  
NEW  ZEALAND  
4.89.   A very warm welcome to Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh and his delegation from Ha Noi 
and also t o 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 Daalen for her remarks this morning.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.90.   New Zealand is fortunate to have a strong and long -standing trading relationship 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, we both became members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans -
Pacific Partnership, and most recently we signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic P artnership 
Agreement. New Zealand is committed to continue working with Viet Nam on the full implementation 
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 Zealand and Viet Nam share a commitment to multilateralism and international law. As 
New Zealand hosts APEC in 2021, we look forward to working with Viet N am to advance common 
goals across the APEC agenda.  
4.93.   New Zealand commends Viet Nam for the recent work done to fulfill previously outstanding 
WTO notification obligations and encourage further improvement in the Member’s notification 
procedures to avoid futu re 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 H ealth communication to the 
General Council, this is even more important during the COVID -19 crisis. We encourage all Members 
to undertake their best efforts to fulfill their notification obligations. We acknowledge that this can 
be a resource -intensive pro cess, 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 those 
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 reducin g 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 forward 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 pleased to take part in the second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam and would like 
to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Mr Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Mini ster of Industry and 
Trade and his delegation. We would also like to thank the discussant, H.E. Ambassador 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 e conomic performance during 
the period of 2013 -2019 and for its positive economic growth rate of 2.9% in 2020. 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 largest 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 bill ion in 2019, we are optimistic that the bilateral trade will recover once the pandemic WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  comes under control. We would also like to highlight that as of September 2020, a total of four 
manufacturing projects were approved in Malaysia with total investments w orth USD 4.67 million.  
4.101.   At the multilateral front, we applaud Viet Nam’s strong efforts in adhering to the 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 
ratifying various FTAs such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement 
(RCEP).  
4.102.   Malaysia has submitted written questions on areas such as investment, government 
procurement and trade promotion measures. Malaysia also looks forward to obtaini ng further 
clarifications regarding the antidumping 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 delega tion warmly welcomes Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, 
His Excellency Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, and our Vietnamese colleagues participating virtually from 
Hanoi. We thank Viet Nam for the comprehensive government report and statement, we commend 
the excell ent 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 a ddition to adopting swift measures to contain the spread of the virus, Viet Nam 
introduced a series of fiscal measures and incentives to replace lost income and boost growth. These 
included a fiscal support package, fee cuts, tax payment deferrals and dedu ctions, 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 introdu ce measures relating to import prohibitions, restrictions, 
and licensing in response to the pandemic. These actions reflect Viet Nam’s commitment to keeping 
supply chains open.  
4.106.   Second, the long -standing and multi -faceted relations between Singapore and Vi et 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 investmen t 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 investm ent destination. Singapore’s largest FDI contribution 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, Vie t Nam has continued to play an active role in ASEAN’s efforts 
to deepen economic integration. We congratulate Viet Nam for its successful ASEAN Chairmanship 
in 2020, amidst the challenging circumstances arising from the pandemic. During Viet Nam’s 
Chairman ship, 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 t he continued flow of essential 
goods during the pandemic. As ASEAN Chairman, Viet Nam also introduced various initiatives in the 
digital space, such as on cybersecurity intelligence cooperation and a pan -ASEAN roaming charge WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  for mobile phones. We have conf idence 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 Trad e Facilitation (TFA) and ratified the amendment 
of the TRIPS Agreement. We look forward to learning more at this TPR about key issues 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 continue strengthening our cooperation with Viet Nam at all 
levels. We are confident that Viet Nam will continue its positive econ omic development trajectory 
and wish Viet Nam every success for its second TPR.  
MÉXICO  
4.110.   México da la más cordial bienvenida a la delegación de Viet Nam, encabezada por el Señor 
Tran Quoc Khanh, Viceministro de Industria y Comercio. Asimismo, agradezco a la Embajadora 
Monique Van Daalen (Países Bajos) por su análisis minucioso y a la Secretaría de la OMC por el 
arduo trabajo realizado para la elaboración de este informe.  
4.111.   México reconoce el sobresaliente desempeño económico de Viet Nam durante el período de 
revisión, así como las medidas proactivas adoptadas por el Gobierno para enfrentar la pandemia del 
COVID -19, logrando que, a pesar de la debilitación del comercio internacional, las cadenas de valor 
no perdieron impulso. Lo cual se vio reflejado en un envidi able crecimiento de su PIB de 2,5% en 
2020.  
4.112.   De igual forma, México felicita a Viet Nam por su paso decidido en la disminución 
considerable de su tasa de pobreza, la cual pasó de más del 70% a principios del decenio de 1990 
a menos del 6% en 2019. Ciertamen te un logro económico sobresaliente bajo cualquier standard.  
4.113.   Viet Nam es nuestro doceavo socio comercial, esperamos que nuestros intercambios 
comerciales y de inversión se fortalezcan en los siguientes años a través del Tratado Integral y 
Progresista de As ociación Transpacífico (CPTPP por sus siglas en inglés), del cual ambos formamos 
parte.  
4.114.   En materia de los temas de relacionados con la OMC, durante el periodo objeto de examen, 
la falsificación y la piratería, tanto en los mercados físicos como en línea en  Viet Nam, sigue siendo 
motivo de gran preocupación, especialmente respecto de los programas informáticos, la música, las 
películas, los libros y revistas, los productos farmacéuticos, los plaguicidas y los bienes de consumo.  
4.115.   Sin embargo, es importante de stacar el proceso de modernización que Viet Nam ha llevado 
a cabo en su sistema de propiedad intelectual, como la Estrategia Nacional de Propiedad Intelectual 
con una proyección hasta 2030, a través de la cual se busca fortalecer la observancia por vía jud icial, 
incluida la investigación penal. Seguramente esta estrategia dará buenos resultados para la 
protección de los derechos de propiedad intelectual, lo cual se reflejará positivamente en el comercio 
nacional e internacional.  
4.116.   México valora que el número de empresas de propiedad totalmente estatal de Viet Nam haya 
disminuido de 1,309 a finales del 2011 a 487 a finales de 2019. Sin embargo, llama a nuestra 
atención el número que sigue siendo elevado y más aún al considerar que el sector bancario está 
domina do por los bancos comerciales de propiedad estatal.  
4.117.   Respecto a los aranceles de productos agropecuarios, si bien todos los aranceles están 
consolidados y oscilan entre el 0% y 40%, es importante destacar el elevado nivel del promedio de 
los aranceles NMF de los productos agropecuarios, el cual fue de 18,1% en el 2020. Asimismo, que 
éstos representan casi 2 veces el promedio de los no agropecuarios.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.118.   Por otra parte, México felicita a Viet Nam por su Plan Director de Desarrollo de la Pesca para 
2020, Visión 2030, que tiene por objetivo convertir la pesca en un sector altamente productivo. Al 
respecto, sería importante que dicho Plan garantice la sostenibilidad de la pesca, con el fin de 
contribuir a la conservación de los recursos marinos y esté en línea con los eventuales compromisos 
que resulten de esta organización.  
4.119.   Para finalizar, reconocemos el gran trabajo que Viet Nam ha llevado a cabo en materia de 
captación de Inversión Extranjera Directa (IED), pasando de un monto acumulado de 
USD 81.8 miles de millo nes en 2013 a USD 161 miles de millones en 2019, contribuyendo a una 
parte importante de la producción en distintos sectores y generando empleo para más 5 millones de 
personas.  
4.120.   Por último, agradecemos a Viet Nam las respuestas proporcionadas a las pregunta s 
formuladas por mi delegación y le deseamos el mejor de los éxitos en el presente Examen.  
CHINA  
4.121.   China warmly welcomes the delegation of Viet Nam, led by H.E. Deputy Minister Khanh, to 
the second Trade Policy Review and would like to thank the discussant, Ambassador Van Daalen for 
her insightful comments and 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 pover ty 
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 lon g 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 202 0 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 played  an important role in 
Viet Nam’s fast development. 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, an d for the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement in 
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 ap plaudable 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 unconditional 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, China 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 an d time -consuming approval process for investment and 
establishment of businesses, as well as un -coordinated implementation of laws and regulations by 
responsible government agencies.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.129.   It is also noted that foreign participation in some sectors remains capp ed at levels between 
30% and 51%. China would like to encourage 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 a nd trade policies and we thank Viet Nam for the response.  
4.131.   Finally, we sincerely hope this Trade Policy Review 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 war m welcome to the Viet Nam 
delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, for its second Trade 
Policy Review. I would also like to express our sincere thanks to the discussant, Ambassador 
Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen, for her  in-depth discussion, as well as the WTO Secretariat 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 lower -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 an d reduced trade resulted from the COVID -19, Viet 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 payment 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 accept ance for the WTO Agreement on Trade 
Facilitation. 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 wit h 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 largest 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 investment 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 deve lopment 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 standard s 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 bil ateral economic and trade relations. We wish Viet Nam a very 
successful and constructive Review.  
ARGENTINA  
4.138.   Quisiéramos asociarnos a los Miembros que han dado la bienvenida a la delegación 
vietnamita, encabezada por S.E. Tran Quoc Khanh, Viceministro de In dustria y Comercio de Vietnam. 
Hacemos extensivo nuestro reconocimiento a la labor de su Embajadora ante esta Casa, S.E. Le Thi 
Tuyet Mai. Y al ponente, el Embajador Van Daalen de los Países Bajos, por sus agudas reflexiones.  
4.139.   Viet Nam es uno de los socios comerciales más importantes de la República Argentina. En 
2019 ocupó el sexto lugar en términos de comercio bilateral global y el quinto en términos de WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  exportaciones para nuestro país. Solo en 2020, las importaciones desde Vie t Nam a nuestro país 
aumentaron en un 14,6%, lo que pone en evidencia la buena salud de nuestro vínculo comercial. A 
Viet Nam exportamos, principalmente, alimentos y cereales. De Viet Nam importamos máquinas, 
material eléctrico, calzado, aparatos mecánicos  y prendas de vestir.  
4.140.   La Argentina ve con buenos ojos el crecimiento económico de Viet Nam que en 2018 alcanzó 
la mayor cifra registrada en una década. Este crecimiento económico, que excede el período objeto 
de examen y se extiende de manera casi ininter rumpida durante los últimos 30 años, ha permitido 
a Viet Nam convertirse en una economía emergente de ingresos medios bajos; lo que se ha traducido 
en una mejora significativa de la calidad de vida de su población.  
4.141.   Nuestro país se complace en observar que  el crecimiento económico de los últimos años 
haya estado basado en la expansión de la demanda interna y de las exportaciones de manufacturas, 
tal y como lo refleja el gráfico 1.2 del informe de la Secretaría. Es notable, en tal sentido, que 
durante el per íodo objeto de examen las exportaciones de manufacturas se hayan duplicado. 
Consideramos que un mayor desarrollo de la infraestructura física del transporte podría contribuir 
aún más al buen desempeño económico de Vietnam.  
4.142.   Igualmente encomiables resultan l os esfuerzos de Viet Nam para hacer frente a la pandemia 
del COVID -19, en especial a través de una serie de medidas e incentivos fiscales adoptados por su 
Gobierno. Caben destacar, entre las varias medidas consignadas en el recuadro 1.1. del informe de 
la Secretaría, las reducciones de tasas, los aplazamientos y las deducciones impositivas.  
4.143.   En lo que respecta a la política comercial propiamente dicha, nuestro país quisiera resaltar 
la puesta en marcha de la Estrategia de Desarrollo Aduanero de Vietnam. En e l marco de esta 
Estrategia se adoptó, entre otras, la Ley de Aduanas de 2015. Estamos seguros de que ésta y otras 
medidas similares ayudarán a simplificar los procedimientos y los requisitos aduaneros en el país. 
En la misma línea, confiamos en que la temp rana aceptación del Acuerdo sobre la Facilitación del 
Comercio en 2015, y en especial la aplicación definitiva de los compromisos de las categorías A, B y 
C para el año 2025, fortalecerán aún más el régimen comercial de Vietnam.  
4.144.   En el marco de este Examen de políticas comerciales hemos presentado a Viet Nam 
preguntas relacionadas, entre otros temas, con los beneficios concedidos en el marco de los 
denominados parques ecos industriales, la posibilidad de aplicar derechos de importación específicos 
o compuest os sobre productos considerados sensibles y su régimen de valoración en aduana. 
Agradecemos de antemano las respuestas brindadas por Vietnam, las cuales serán remitidas a 
nuestras autoridades en Buenos Aires.  
4.145.   A modo de cierre, permítanos desear a las autor idades vietnamitas una exitosa conclusión 
de éste, su segundo Examen de las políticas comerciales.  
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 the reports prepared by the WTO Secretariat 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 t he 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 recognizes the importance of WTO Membership to Viet Nam and 
appreciates its expression of support for WTO reforms. We appreciate the leadership Viet Nam’s 
Ambassador and Mission here continu e 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, including improvements to 
its legal framework, 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 implement additional reforms . WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  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 partnership with the Global All iance for Trade 
Facilitation to develop a modern customs bond system for the conditional release of goods. Once in 
place, Viet Nam will be the first country in Asia with such a comprehensive system. With support 
from USAID’s Trade Facilitation Project, Vie t 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 Communication entitled, 
Supporting t he Timely and Efficient Release of Global Goods Through Accelerated Implementation 
of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (G/TFA/W/25). A Rev. 4 will be issued in the near term 
and we welcome Viet Nam joining the United States and the 14 other cosponsors 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 transit of goods through Viet Nam. We would appreciate an update on these 
measures and other actions ta ken by Viet Nam to address these issues.  
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 pro vision of services foundational 
to this digital future, which are frequently provided on a cross -border basis. For example, Viet Nam’s 
Ministry of Public Security has issued a draft implementing decree for the Law on Cybersecurity that 
includes data locali zation 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 Inf ormation and 
Communications (MIC) Decree 6 on the Management, Provision, and Use of Radio and Television 
Services would impose significant new restrictions on legitimate on -demand suppliers of such 
programming. The United States would appreciate updates fr om 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 Declara tion and Work Program. We have sincerely 
appreciated Viet Nam’s active engagement and partnership in this initiative.  
4.153.   The United States has concerns regarding SPS measures maintained by Viet Nam that 
restrict trade. We have posed a number of questions on f ood safety, pre -clearance and 
post-clearance inspections, animal health, maximum residue limits, pesticides, as well as the risk 
assessment and the proposed domestic ban for glyphosate. We look forward to receiving and 
reviewing Viet Nam’s responses. As wa s the case in the previous TPR, the United States continues 
to encourage Viet Nam to provide notifications required by the SPS Agreement at an early 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, in cluding efforts to amend the Law on Intellectual Property and 
continuing public awareness campaigns 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 ministries and agencies responsible for enforcement, and 
widespread counterfeiting and online piracy. We would appreciate updates on Viet Nam’s plans to 
further strengthen its IP framework, including through upcoming revis ions 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 achieve a 
meaningful agreement.  As a party to CPTPP, Viet Nam has already adopted fisheries subsidies 
disciplines and we recognize Viet Nam’s efforts to reform its subsidy programs and prohibit the most 
harmful fisheries subsidies.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  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 r esponses to our questions, to working together to resolve 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 decades 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.  
4.158.   Australia encourages Viet Nam to continue 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 sys tem. 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 market and trading partner for 
Australia.  
4.159.   Australia recognizes 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 stable monetary policy; improvements in Viet Nam’s foreign investment 
framework; and modernization of its competition policy. Australia notes Viet Nam has reduced the 
degree of state involvement in some impo rtant 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 will 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 trade 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 workin g with Viet Nam in the leadup to MC12 to achieve a meaningful 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 regul ation 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 digital certificates of origin under the CPTPP, has been 
inconsistent. More broadly, customs procedures when inconsistently applied have act ed as 
constraints to trade. These kinds of border clearance barriers affect a variety of traders, particularly 
through biosecurity 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 already to implementing the agreement. We look forward to Viet Nam 
finalizing implementation of all commitments 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.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.164.   Australia also looks forward to working with Viet Nam and all other AANZFTA parties on the 
AANZFTA upgrade negotia tions – the upgrade presents an opportunity to enhance economic 
integration and maximize the agreement’s contribution to the region’s economic recovery.  
4.165.   Digital trade is contributing an increasing amount to global economic growth. Viet Nam has 
made import ant 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 environme nt and through full 
implementation of its FTA commitments into the future.  
4.166.   A further reduction in trade barriers will be an important part of Viet Nam’s domestic 
economic reform process, strengthening trade and competitiveness and supporting further 
integr ation into global value chains and long -term economic growth. Continuing structural reform of 
the economy is essential if Viet Nam is to realize its full potential.  
4.167.   Let me conclude by wishing Viet Nam and its delegation all the very best for its Trade Pol icy 
Review and we look forward to continuing working with Viet Nam into the future.  
BRAZIL  
4.168.   Brazil extends a warm welcome to the delegation of Viet Nam, headed by Deputy Minister 
Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh and to the Vietnamese team in Geneva. I also thank you, Ch air, for the very 
useful introduction, and the discussant, Ambassador Van Daalen for her very thoughtful comments, 
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 
question s submitted to Viet Nam – 42 in total – ranging from SPS matters to telecommunications; 
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 ou r two countries.  
4.171.   In 2020, in spite of the COVID -19 pandemic, bilateral trade grew by 0.3%, in 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 par tner 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 ar e at 
least three Brazilian companies operating in Viet Nam and we expect and welcome Vietnamese FDI 
in Brazil.  
4.175.   Turning to the civil aviation sector, my delegation notes with satisfaction several points of 
convergence between modernization practices in Vie t Nam and in Brazil, in the direction of more 
liberalization and openness to foreign investment, 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 their market to some 
Brazilian agricultural products.  
4.177.   Brazil is hopeful bilatera l 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 b y wishing Viet Nam a very successful and productive Trade Policy Review.  
  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  EUROPEAN  UNION  
4.179.   On behalf of the European Union, I would like to welcome the delegation of Viet Nam led by 
Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade. I would also li ke to thank the WTO 
Secretariat and the Government of Viet Nam for their reports, which form the basis for our discussion 
today. Let me extend also our appreciation to the discussant, H.E. Mrs Monique T.G. Van Daalen 
(Netherlands) for giving us her views o n 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 first 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 1986, impressive reforms have been carried out towards a more market -oriented 
economy; with further transfo rmation 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 
EUR 42,8 billion, respectively, making Viet Nam the second biggest 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 average 
annual GD P growth of 6.6% between 2014 and 2018. Robust domestic demand, export -oriented 
manufacturing and foreign direct investment have supported Viet Nam’s economic 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 remain 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 some positive developments toward a more 
stable and sustainable business environment with Viet Nam’s revisio n of the Enterprise Law, the 
Investment Law and the adoption of a new Investment framework for public -private -partnerships 
(PPPs). The EU encourages Viet 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 facilitatio n for 
development, and domestic regulation in services, which constitute 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 into force in 2016). 
For years, Viet Nam has benefited considerably from the EU's Generalized Scheme of Pref erences 
(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  agreement 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 an d investment relations.  
4.187.   The EU would also like to highlight a few challenges, 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 acce lerated process where state -owned enterprises after 
being transformed, can and will function in heed to market forces on an equal footing with other 
economic operators.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  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.   Deseamos expresar nuestro saludo a la distinguida delegación de Viet Nam que nos 
acompaña el día de hoy encabezada por el Viceministro de Industria y Comercio, el Sr. Tran Quoc 
Khanh, y a su Embajadora, la Dr. Le Thi Tuyet Mai. También queremos agradecer a la Secretaría 
por el informe y a la Embajadora Monique T. G. Van Daalen (Países Bajos) po r las pertinentes 
contribuciones realizadas.  
4.192.   Desde que implementó el proceso de reforma hacia la apertura controlada “Doi Moi,” Viet 
Nam ha tenido un desempeño económico ejemplar que se ha sostenido por más de tres décadas. 
Sin duda alguna, el logro más im portante a destacar fue la reducción de su tasa de pobreza del 70% 
a principio de los años 90 a menos el 6% en 2019. Esta victoria se atribuye, entre otras cosas, al 
crecimiento económico sostenido que durante gran parte del periodo examinado por el presen te 
informe se mantuvo en un promedio del 6,6%, e incluso continuó positivo en un 2,5% durante 2020 
a pesar de la crisis mundial de salud.  
4.193.   Viet Nam es además un ejemplo de la forma de enfrentar la pandemia desde una economía 
abierta. El país reconoce la im portancia del sector exportador como motor de desarrollo y ha logrado 
una fuerte inserción en las cadenas globales de valor en áreas como las prendas de vestir y, 
especialmente, los productos electrónicos de consumo donde cerca del 85% de las importaciones  
durante 2019 fueron de bienes intermedios, mientras que el 44% de las exportaciones de esos 
mismos productos fueron de bienes de consumo final destinados al mercado de Estados Unidos, 
Emiratos Árabes, y Austria.  
4.194.   Las medidas de contención mundial del COVID -19 afectaron la economía vietnamita debido 
a su alto nivel de integración mundial, sin embargo, las cifras preliminares de 2020 muestran que 
el país no ha perdido impulso y eso se atribuye principalmente a las medidas gubernamentales de 
apoyo fiscal, redu cciones de tasas y aplazamientos del pago de impuestos, así como los incentivos 
financieros ofrecidos a empleadores y empleados.  
4.195.   La respuesta a la pandemia reitera el destacado papel que tiene el Gobierno de Viet Nam 
sobre todos los aspectos de su economí a. Es por esta razón que el informe de la Secretaría califica 
su economía como “dualista,” donde coexiste la planeación centralizada gubernamental con un 
amplio sistema de incentivos de libre mercado. El Gobierno vietnamita inició hace varias décadas, 
un proceso de restructuración económica para equiparar las desigualdades entre el Estado y el sector 
privado con resultados importantes pero inconclusos.  
4.196.   Un paso significativo para mejorar esta situación de desigualdad entre los diferentes agentes 
económicos fue actualizar el régimen de inversiones. Con esta medida se buscó que las empresas 
con inversión extranjeras, las empresas públicas, y el sector privado nacional equiparen las 
condiciones en que desarrollan sus actividades. Se disminuyó el número de áreas  restringidas a la 
inversión extranjera, se aumentó el número de sectores en que se puede adelantar Asociaciones 
Público -Privadas (APP), y se eliminó el límite general del 49% de capital extranjero en empresas 
estatales; de todas formas, aún persisten algu nos sectores con límites a la propiedad de entre el 
30% y el 50%.  
4.197.   En materia aduanera, Viet Nam también ha tenido grandes avances. Las autoridades 
vietnamitas continúan reformando sus políticas y medidas relacionadas con procedimientos 
aduaneros, y hoy en  día la administración de Aduanas usa un mecanismo de despacho automático, 
ventanilla única, y la gestión de riesgos a todos los niveles. También quisiera destacar que Viet Nam 
ya consolidó la totalidad de sus aranceles y estos oscilan entre el 0% y el 40% , con un promedio 
aritmético aplicado NMF del 10,9%.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.198.   Otras dos reformas recientes que vale la pena resaltar fueron, primero la adecuación de su 
Ley de Propiedad Intelectual en 2019, con la intensión que se ajustara a los compromisos adquiridos 
bajo el CP-TPP; y segundo, la promulgación de la Ley de Competencia que junto a sus decretos de 
habilitación sentaron las bases para la creación de la Comisión Nacional de la Competencia (NCC).  
4.199.   No puedo concluir mi intervención sin resaltar el compromiso de Viet N am con el sistema 
internacional. Desde su adhesión en 2007 este país considera crucial su participación en la OMC 
dentro de su estrategia de integración internacional y por lo tanto contribuye activamente en los 
diferentes procesos. En diciembre de 2015 no tificó la culminación de los procedimientos de 
aceptación del Acuerdo de Facilitación del Comercio (TFA), en enero de 2017 también notificación 
de la reforma del Acuerdo de los ADPIC, y participa en el Acuerdo de Tecnologías de la Información 
(ATI). Quisie ra aprovechar la oportunidad para invitar a Viet Nam a que también contribuya en los 
diferentes de procesos de negociación en el marco de las Declaraciones Ministeriales Conjuntas, 
especialmente sobre Comercio Electrónico, Facilitación de las Inversiones p ara el Desarrollo, y 
Regulación Doméstica de Servicios.  
4.200.   Finalizo entonces deseándole a Viet Nam el mayor de los éxitos en su segundo Examen de 
Política Comercial y animando a sus representantes para que continúen con su participación 
constructiva al inter ior de la OMC en pro de un mejor y más incluyente funcionamiento del sistema 
multilateral de comercio.  
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 Trad e. Let me also thank the discussant, 
H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G Van Daalen of the Netherland for her contribution to this Review, and the 
Government of Viet Nam and the Secretariat for their insightful and comprehensive reports.  
4.202.   Secondly, I would like to congr atulate 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 str ong 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 various issues in WTO, such 
as fisheries subsid ies, 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 strengthen 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 dynamic trend and reached 
USD 8.07 billion in 2020, which d ecreased by 11.5% from the previous 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. Merchandi se 
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 rate of 6.6% 
and reached a 10 -year high of 7.1% in 20 18. 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 thoro ugh integration 
into the world economy. Tellingly, some products, such as electronic products did not seem affected WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  by the decline of global demand. This condition is attributed to the merit of government policies 
introduced by the Vietnamese Government. A s 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 an d 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 employees. The Vietnamese Government also 
reduced intere st rates three times during 2020 and restructured debts to negate the undesirable 
impacts of COVID -19 on the economy.  
4.210.   The Viet Nam Vision 2035 aims to transform the country into an advanced economic country. 
In doing so, Viet Nam mobilizes resources to in vest 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 Nam attempt to reduce its dependence on foreign 
oil su pplies 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 quality 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 will account for 40% of Vietnamese GDP by 2035 and to a ccount 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 countries’ bilateral cooperation.  
4.212.   Indonesia has submitte d 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 development of its Small and Medium Enterprises since t hey 
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.   Furthermore, we also seek clarification regarding the issua nce 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 h as 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 w ell recovered ever since.  
4.215.   Other issues that we also raised in our written submission were regarding trade and 
investment regimes, measures that are directly affecting imports, fisheries, customs modernization, 
distribution services, as well as other gener al questions.  
4.216.   In conclusion, Indonesia believes that this TPR could address our concerns as well as 
enhance trade and economic cooperation between Indonesia and Viet Nam. We appreciate the 
responses provided by Viet Nam to our written questions and will c onsider them carefully.  
4.217.   Finally, Indonesia 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.   La delegación ecuatoriana da la bienvenida a la delegación de Vietnam, presidida por el 
Señor Tran Quoc Khanh, Ministro Adjunto de Industria y Comercio. Quisiera, del mismo modo, 
sumarse al reconocimiento expresado por quienes me precedieron en el uso de la palabra, respecto 
a la calidad de los reportes elaborados tanto por la Secretaría como por el Gobierno vietnamita.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.219.   Me gustaría felicitar también los comentarios y observaciones de la ponente, embajadora 
Monique Van Daalen.  
4.220.   Ecuador ha seguido con interés este segundo Examen de política comercial de Vietnam. 
Espera que las medidas implementadas para aliviar el impacto negativo causado por la crisis de 
COVID -19, surtan el efecto esperado.  
4.221.   Mi país aprecia los positivos resultados económicos alcanz ados y que, pese a la crisis, Viet 
Nam aún espera registrar crecimiento en su PIB. Nos complace escuchar que el crecimiento 
económico se ha reflejado en una mejora de las condiciones de vida de la población, lo que se 
evidencia en la información sobre la r educción de la pobreza que reporta la Secretaría.  
4.222.   Agradecemos las respuestas recibidas de Viet Nam y mantenemos la expectativa de recibir 
información sobre algunos temas pendientes. Particularmente quisiéramos conocer más sobre la 
experiencia de Viet Nam en cuanto a sus políticas de administración de contingentes arancelarios, 
en el marco de la liberación concertada en conexión con algunos Acuerdos Comerciales.  
4.223.   Por otro lado, Ecuador tiene interés en conocer adicionalmente sobre las medidas 
implementadas con respecto a la facilitación del comercio, y la operación de las ventanillas únicas y 
el despacho automático en aduana. Sobre este mismo tema, la autoridad com ercial ecuatoriana 
apreciaría conocer sobre la experiencia de Viet Nam en relación al uso de la base de datos de 
empresas antes, durante y después del despacho aduanero.  
4.224.   Dentro del contexto de la pandemia COVID -19, Ecuador apreciaría tener información ace rca 
de las medidas mencionadas en el párrafo 3.50, sobre la desgravación del impuesto especial de 
consumo, a la que pueden acogerse los contribuyentes que producen mercancías sujetas a este 
impuesto y que tienen dificultades derivadas de catástrofes natura les u otros casos fortuitos.  
4.225.   Ecuador sigue con atención la política de Viet Nam para atraer inversiones, promover la 
diversificación económica y fortalecer la estructura productiva del país. Felicitamos que por esa vía 
se haya implementado una auspiciosa i nserción en las cadenas globales de valor. Mi país también 
augura éxitos a Viet Nam en los resultados de sus políticas relacionadas con el impulso de la 
economía digital, el desarrollo de tecnológico y la participación de las MiPymes en la economía.  
4.226.   Ecuad or importa desde Viet Nam productos manufacturados como equipos electrónicos de 
diverso tipo, maquinaria, zapatos y textiles, entre otros. De nuestra parte, exportamos a Viet Nam 
camarones, flores y madera teca. Aspiramos a que a mediano y largo plazo los intercambios y la 
vinculación económica entre nuestros países crezca y se propicie un relacionamiento más profundo.  
4.227.   Ecuador le desea a Viet Nam éxitos en la conclusión de su segundo Examen de las políticas 
comerciales.  
THAILAND  
4.228.   At the outset, Thailand wou ld 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 to thank the TPRB Chair and the discussant, H.E. Ambassador Monique T.G. 
Van Daalen of the Netherlands, for her insightful comments. We also th ank 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 economic 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.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.232.   One of the most prominent aspects 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 c ountries 
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 export ed 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. Meanwhile, 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 with 
USD 12,800  million of total registered investme nt 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 commends Viet Nam for its sustained remarkable macro economic 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 poverty 
rate and created fiscal space to deal with t he 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 Viet 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 Member and for significantly embracing international economic integration and actively 
participating in the global value chains. This, particul arly, renders the country one of the global 
manufacturing hubs, especially for apparel and consumer electronics. Thailand supports Viet Nam in 
implementing policies to promote exports and economic integration as a way to boost the country’s 
sustainable eco nomic 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 internationally accepted standards, especially for motor vehicle s and pharmaceutical 
products.  
4.238.   In this Review, 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 closi ng, 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 success in its second Trade Policy Review.  
PHILIPPI NES 
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 congrat ulates the delegation of Viet Nam 
led by Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh of the Ministry of Industry 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 Mo nique 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 -WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  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 which 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 r anked as the Philippines 11th major trading partner with total bilateral 
trade valued at USD 4.22 billion. Philippine exports to Viet Nam slightly went up by 0.32% from 
USD 1.27 billion in 2019 to USD 1.27 billion due to increase in exports of electrical a nd electronic 
machinery and digital monolithic integrated circuits. Meanwhile, Philippine 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, co ffee extracts, and transmission apparatus 
incorporating reception apparatus.  
4.244.   The Philippines recognizes Viet Nam’s remarkable economic development over the past 
30 years with its sustained high GDP growth rates and declining poverty rate which have transf ormed 
the country into a lower -middle -income emerging economy. Viet Nam’s pursuit of export -oriented 
trade policies and active implementation of international economic integration processes during the 
recent years contributed to bringing about positive imp acts on the country’s economic growth and 
modernization.  
4.245.   Given its deep integration with the global economy, 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 inter national integration 
strategy since its accession to the Organization in 2007. The Philippines notes Viet Nam’s strong 
support for a fair, open and rules -based multilateral trading system, which it has demonstrated 
through its commitment and active engagem ent in the various work of the WTO. The Philippines 
appreciates Viet Nam’s participation 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 has 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 e nhancing the mutually 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 De puty 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 fa cilitated 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 merchand ise 
trade grew at a double -digit rate annually.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  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 durin g the review period to further consolidate the country’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 amendmen t of the TRIPS 
Agreement in 2017 shows its firm commitment 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 cooperation 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 conclusi on 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 tra de volume.  
4.258.   In concluding, we wish Viet Nam a very successful completion of its second 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 delega tion to the second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam. I also thank 
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 by proactively and actively integrating into the world in an exhaustive, extensive, and 
effective manner. As a result, Viet Nam achieved outstanding achievements in the areas of GDP 
growth, increase in trade volume and FDI capital.  
4.261.   At the s ame time, Viet Nam has continued to foster its role in multilateral mechanisms, in 
ASEAN, UN, APEC, and other international fora and advanced bilateral cooperation with its trading 
partners by signing 15 FTAs regional and bilateral FTAs (among which 14 are  in effect) to date.  
4.262.   Viet Nam is a strong supporter of the multilateral trading system and the WTO, and 
expressed its strong support for WTO reforms based on the principles such as ensuring balances 
between rights and obligations, corresponding to the dev elopment level.  
4.263.   Turning to the bilateral aspect, the VKFTA 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 increased 1.8 times from the USD 36.5 b illion in 2015 to USD 67 billion in 2019, in 
which exports and imports respectively reached USD 19.75 billion and USD 47.29 billion (increased 
2.2 and 1.7 times, respectively).  
4.264.   VKFTA also plays an important role in attracting FDI from the Republic of Kore a to Viet Nam. 
In 2019, total FDI investment into Viet Nam reached USD 38.02 billion, in which the Republic of 
Korea ranked first with a total investment of USD 7.92 billion. In 2020, our FDI decreased due to 
the pandemic, still we are the largest FDI inve stor in Viet Nam with 8934 projects with accumulated 
investment of USD 70.3 billion. In addition, Viet Nam and Republic of Korea established the 
ministerial level Joint Committee to implement the VKFTA and sub -committee to supervise the 
implementation of F TA, having three meeting sessions under this mechanism as of 2019.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.265.   Despite the great bilateral relations between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea, taking this 
opportunity, I would like to raise some points which we look forward to receiving Viet Nam’s 
productive and positive response.  
4.266.   First, in page 32 of your government report, it is said that up to now, only Viet Nam has not 
ratified the third Protocol to amend the ASEAN -Republic of Korea Trade in Goods Agreement 
(AKTIGA) due to technical problems rela ted to the tariff commitments on petroleum products. 
Viet Nam requested us to discuss in order to resolve this issue, however, the Republic of Korea has 
not been ready for the discussion. This is simply not true.  
4.267.   During the 17th bilateral talks, Korea req uested Viet Nam to ratify the said Protocol, 
Viet Nam explained that the delay in ratification is due to exponential growth of trade deficit since 
the Korea -Viet Nam FTA entered into force and that the country needs some time to resolve 
differences of opin ions among domestic stockholders.  
4.268.   With regard to this and other matters such as cross -border service, SOEs and technology 
transfer, my delegation has submitted, albeit somewhat late, our written questions. We look forward 
to receiving a response in due co urse. 
4.269.   There is no question that Viet Nam has accomplished great economic achievement and has 
contributed to the multilateral trading system. And we hope that things will continue this way. Again 
we thank you for your attention and we wish Viet Nam a succes sful second TPR.  
ICELAND  
4.270.   Iceland joins others in welcoming Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh and the distinguished 
delegation of Viet Nam to their Trade Policy Review. We also express appreciation for the reports 
prepared, as well as to the discussant, Ambas sador Van Daalen (Netherlands) for her excellent 
framing of the issues for our discussion today.  
4.271.   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 sustainable 
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.  
4.272.   Prior to the COVID -19 pandemic, Viet Nam had been experiencing sustained economic 
growth and impressive decline in poverty rates driven by merchandise trade and active participation 
in global value chains. However, preliminary figures for 2020 show a sharp economic downturn, 
reflecting the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic.  
4.273.   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 tra de disruptions caused by the pandemic.  
4.274.   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 E nterprises 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.  
4.275.   In September 2020, a group o f WTO Members 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.  
4.276.   The Trade Policy Review provides an excellent oppor tunity 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.  
4.277.   Iceland submitted advance written questions on the participation of women in the economy 
of Viet Nam. The answers will be useful as we gather best practices.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.278.   Iceland appreciates Viet Nam’s active engagement in WTO and their continued support for 
the multilateral trading system. We wish the delegation of Viet Nam every success for their Trade 
Policy Review.  
UNITED  KINGDOM  
4.279.   The United Kingdom joins others in welcoming the delegation of Viet Nam, led by Deputy 
Minister Tran Quoc Khanh.  
4.280.   We also express our gratitude to the WTO Secretari at for the reports and to discussant 
Ambassador Van Daalen for her insights.  
4.281.   We have submitted questions to Viet Nam, and look forward to the clarifications they may 
provide.  
4.282.   Viet Nam is an important trading partner for the United Kingdom.  
4.283.   Although bila teral 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.  
4.284.   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 
Agreement.  
4.285.   This provides a platform to continue to grow trade and investment between our two 
economies.  
4.286.   The United Kingdom is pleased to note that Viet Nam has increased its engagemen t within 
the WTO over this review period, in particular the submission of instruments for the acceptance of 
the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation in December 2015.  
4.287.   Given the growth in Viet Nam’s economy and international outlook, the United Kingdom 
remains interested in Viet Nam’s priorities for multilateral trade.  
4.288.   The United Kingdom seeks to maximize trade and investment opportunities globally, so we 
take a strong interest in the intellectual property protections of our trading partners.  
4.289.   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.  
4.290.   A number of our written q uestions relate to IP protection and enforcement, and we thank 
Viet Nam in advance for its responses.  
4.291.   The United Kingdom supports Viet Nam’s work to harmonize national standards with 
international standards.  
4.292.   We are encouraged to see the increase from 30% to 60% over the review period.  
4.293.   These efforts are welcome and support Viet Nam’s commitment to reduce regulatory barriers 
under our bilateral Free Trade Agreement.  
4.294.   The United Kingdom is encouraged that Viet Nam considers climate change a policy priority 
in the transport and agriculture sectors.  
4.295.   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 mak e the most of its huge solar and off -shore wind potential.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.296.   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 capacity as 
hosts o f COP26 later this year.  
4.297.   We recognize the severe consequences and unprecedented challenges all Members and 
businesses are currently facing in response to COVID -19.  
4.298.   The United Kingdom is supporting Viet Nam in the development and distribution of vaccines 
through technical capacity building and knowledge exchanges.  
4.299.   Collaboration between Viet Nam and the United Kingdom on healthcare continues to 
strengthen, making valu able contributions to global health security through tackling emerging risks 
including non -communicable diseases and antimicrobial resistance.  
4.300.   Viet Nam’s Ministry of Education and Training has indicated a willingness to engage with the 
United Kingdom on de veloping a framework that would underpin the Mutual Recognition of 
Qualifications, particularly in Higher Education. This is welcome.  
4.301.   Understanding assessment criteria is key to progressing this.  
4.302.   Improved transparency regarding the list of specific educat ion services opened for foreign 
investors, including under bilateral arrangements and agreements would likewise be beneficial.  
4.303.   We are also pleased to see Viet Nam’s moves to recognize qualifications achieved online, 
which will also be important in the pos t-COVID world to ensure an education system that is fully 
inclusive.  
4.304.   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.  
4.305.   Last year, we refreshed the UK -Viet Nam Strategic Partnership, which sets an upward 
trajectory to our relationship for the next 10 years.  
4.306.   We look forward to deepening our trade ties through our bilateral Free Trade Agreement, 
and through the Compre hensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans -Pacific Partnership, which the 
United Kingdom is seeking to join.  
4.307.   The United Kingdom appreciates Viet Nam’s active participation in this WTO Review, and 
wish them all the best for the review process this week.  
BANGLADESH  
4.308.   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. Ba ngladesh 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.  
4.309.   Viet Nam has made great strides and significant progress in recent years. It is encouraging 
to see that prudent macroeconomic measures adopted by the country have resulted in impressive 
economic growth and remarkable improvement in almost all indices. It sustained high GDP growth 
rates d uring 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.  
4.310.   The country's economic expansion in recent years has been underpin ned by robust domestic 
demand and manufacturing exports. Since its last Review 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 WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  appreciated by 4% on an average each year. These economic successes transformed the country 
into a lower -middle -income emerging economy.  
4.311.   Bangladesh and Viet Nam enjoy excellent bilateral trade and e conomic relations. 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 si milar vision of development - that is becoming a developed 
country, by 2045 for Viet Nam, and by 2041 for Bangladesh.  
4.312.   Bangladesh -Viet Nam Joint Trade Committee (JTC) has been working to double the 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. W e are going 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.  
4.313.   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.   
4.314.   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 delegation, 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  
4.315.   Kazakhstan warmly 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 st atement. We would also like to express our appreciation to Ambassador 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.  
4.316.   Given its deep integration with the global economy, the Vietnamese economy has been hit 
by the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic, but it has 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 is considered a great success, especially given that the COVID -19 pandemic 
is still going on with complex developments.  
4.317.   Regarding bilateral relations, in 2015, the Free Trade Agreement betw een 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 faste r pace.  
4.318.   Thus, Kazakhstan and Viet Nam enjoy rapid trade growth 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 furth er cooperation of our countries, and 
also it is vital to make use of available opportunities for the development of trade relations between 
Kazakhstan and Vietnam.  
4.319.   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 development strategies of both 
countries.  
4.320.   Kazakhstan has submitted a number of written questions on a range of issues of specific 
interest, such as investment regime, competition policy, TBT, etc. Ka zakhstan looks forward to 
receiving replies from Viet Nam to its questions.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.321.   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.  
4.322.   We wish the delegation of Viet Nam every success for their second Trade Policy Review.  
INDIA  
4.323.   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 
comprehensive opening statement, Ambassador H.E. M rs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen of Netherlands, 
for her insightful observations as a discussant, and the Secretariat and the Government of Viet Nam 
for the reports prepared for the Review.  
4.324.   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’ establis hed between the two countries in 2007, has been 
elevated to “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” in 2016, during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to 
Viet Nam.  
4.325.   The bilateral trade and economic linkages have grown significantly under India’s look -east 
policy, p aying rich dividends. From a meager USD 200 million in the year 2000, the two -way trade 
has grown steadily over the last two decades and stood at USD 10 billion in 2020. Indian exports to 
Viet Nam were USD 4.5 billion and Vietnam’s exports to India were US D 5.5 billion. There was a 
contraction in the bilateral trade last year by 22.5% on account of COVID -19 related disruptions.  
4.326.   Viet Nam is also an attractive investment destination for Indian companies who have made 
a cumulative 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, chemicals and building materials.  
4.327.   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 wi thin 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 cons ervation and preservation of monuments.  
4.328.   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 economies in Asia. In this regard, we are happy to note from the Secretariat’s 
report that during the review 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 Vie t 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 i n 2019) and productivity. We also commend 
the fiscal consolidation policies implemented by the Government of Vietnam.  
4.329.   We also commend Viet Nam’s commitment to the multilateral trading system and welcome 
Viet Nam’s ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agr eement 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 developing 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 Viet Nam not only to expand and deepen our bilater al cooperation, 
but also to strengthen and reform the multilateral trading system.  
4.330.   I wish our friends from Viet Nam a productive and successful TPR.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  LAO PDR 
4.331.   On behalf of the Lao PDR’s delegation, I wish to extend our warmest welcome to the 
distinguished de legation of Viet Nam led by H.E. Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Industry 
and Trade and Head of the Vietnamese delegation  
4.332.   I would like to thank the Government of Viet Nam and the WTO Secretariat for the 
preparation of comprehensive reports for thi s Review, especially under the circumstances of the 
COVID -19 pandemic.  
4.333.   My thanks also go to discussant H.E Ambassador Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen 
(Netherlands) for her insightful observations and introduction.  
4.334.   Lao PDR would like to associate ourselves wi th the ASEAN statement delivered by Brunei 
Darussalam.  
4.335.   I am of the view that the Secretariat report and the Vietnamese Government statement have 
provided a good illustration of the changes and developments since the last TPR of Viet Nam. Today, 
my delegati on wishes to share with you some points as follows.  
4.336.   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 countr ies have constantly increased by 59.5%, from USD 1,000 million in 2016 to 
USD 1,596  million in 2020.  
4.337.   In terms of the investment, Viet Nam is the 3rd largest investment in Lao PDR. Up to now, 
there are 424 projects of Vietnamese enterprises in Lao PDR, wit h a total value of investment of 
USD 4.1 billion. These projects cover numerous sectors, including agriculture, industries, handicraft, 
and mining, bringing mutual benefits to both of our economies. Lao PDR hopes that our bilateral 
trade and investment wil l continue to grow to further strengthen our economic relations.  
4.338.   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 resilient 
economic growth in the country.  
4.339.   From regional cooperation perspective, Lao PDR would like to congratulate Viet Nam for 
being a successful ASAEN Chairmanship in 2020 and thanks Viet Nam for a close cooperation with 
Lao PDR and other ASEAN Member States, as well as the 5 partner countries in concluding the 
negotiations and signing of the RCEP Agreement on 15 November 2020, which is a strong message 
on our region’s support to the rules -based multilateral trading system.  
4.340.   Lao PDR is of the view that this TPR 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.  
4.341.   Lao PDR is confident that with maintaining the m omentum of its reform agenda, Viet Nam 
will achieve its target to reach the economic expansion of its period and we believe these priorities 
will be on track with Viet Nam's efforts to succeed in its economic transformation in according with 
National Progr am. 
4.342.   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 cooperati on 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.  
  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  COSTA  RICA 
4.343.   En nombre del Gobierno de Costa Rica quisiera dar una calurosa bienvenida a la delegación 
de Vietnam, encabezada por el Señor Tran Quoc Khanh, Ministro Adjunto de Industria y Comercio, 
así como a la Embajadora y Representante Permanente de Viet Nam ante la  OMC, S.E Le Thi Tuyet 
Mai y a su equipo aquí en Ginebra, y agradecerles por su informe y excelente presentación esta 
mañana. De igual forma, quisiera extender este agradecimiento a la Embajadora Van Daalen por 
sus atinados comentarios y a la Secretaría de  la OMC por el informe elaborado.  
4.344.   Costa Rica se complace en participar en este Examen de Políticas Comerciales de Vietnam. 
Viet Nam es un socio comercial importante para Costa Rica en el sureste asiático y con quien 
compartimos iniciativas e intereses comunes.  
4.345.   Costa Rica quisiera resaltar  el valor primordial que Viet Nam le otorga a la OMC en su 
estrategia de integración económica, así como su apoyo decidido al sistema multilateral de comercio. 
Al igual que Vietnam, Costa Rica participa en iniciativas conjuntas como la de Microempresas y 
pequeñas y medianas empresas (MiPymes) así como en grupos como el Grupo Cairns.  
4.346.   En relación con el Examen específicamente, rescatamos el alto crecimiento económico 
experimentado por Viet Nam durante el período de examen, crecimiento impulsado principalmente  
por una alta demanda interna y un crecimiento vertiginoso de su comercio exterior y de la atracción 
de la inversión extranjera directa.  
4.347.   El fomento de políticas públicas orientadas hacia las exportaciones y a la integración 
económica han sido determinante s en la obtención de estos resultados. La estrategia sobre 
exportaciones e importaciones desarrollada por Viet Nam en los últimos años es una clara muestra 
de cómo con visión y planeamiento se pueden obtener resultados tangibles, no sólo desde el punto 
de vista económico sino también social.  
4.348.   La ampliación de los mercados de exportación, la participación en las cadenas globales de 
valor, el crecimiento sostenido del valor de sus exportaciones y la reducción en los índices de pobreza 
son solo algunos de los i ndicadores económicos y sociales que han evolucionado de manera positiva 
como resultado de estas políticas.  
4.349.   Pasar de niveles de pobreza superiores al 70% a niveles por debajo del 6% en un período 
de tiempo de alrededor de 30 años es sencillamente impresion ante. Como país en desarrollo que ha 
tenido que lidiar con niveles crónicos de pobreza en los últimos años, a Costa Rica le resulta 
alentadores estos resultados obtenidos por Viet Nam y esperamos aprender de su experiencia en los 
años venideros.  
4.350.   Durante e l período actual de examen, vemos con interés los cambios introducidos por Viet 
Nam a su régimen de inversiones. A pesar de que estos cambios son relativamente recientes, nos 
gustaría conocer si Viet Nam cuenta con alguna evaluación preliminar de los resul tados obtenidos 
por los mismos y si tiene previsto introducir modificaciones adicionales, en particular en relación con 
la cantidad de las denominadas actividades comerciales condicionales.  
4.351.   Otro aspecto que nos llama la atención es la política energética d e Vietnam, en particular su 
Plan de Acción Nacional de Crecimiento Ecológico, que promovió la reducción de gases de efecto 
invernadero y la utilización de energías limpias y renovables. Sobre este aspecto, notamos que Viet 
Nam todavía es un país altamente dependiente de energías no renovables como el carbón y que es 
posible que esta dependencia se extienda a corto y mediano plazo dado el incremento previsto en 
la demanda de energía y la ausencia de fuentes de energía más limpias. En ese sentido, alentamos 
a Viet Nam a que continúe sus esfuerzos de diversificación de su matriz energética y la promoción 
de fuentes de energía renovables como la energía solar y la eólica.  
4.352.   Finalmente, queremos rescatar también los avances realizados por Viet Nam en sus políticas  
y medidas relacionadas con sus procedimientos aduaneros y en su política de competencia. La 
modernización de las políticas relacionadas con estas áreas seguramente contribuirá de manera 
positiva en el proceso de reforma económica impulsado por Vietnam.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.353.   Quisiera concluir mi intervención deseando a Viet Nam muchos éxitos en este Examen de 
Políticas Comerciales.  
MYANMAR  
4.354.   Myanmar aligns itself with the ASEAN statement made by Brunei Darussalam. First of all, 
my delegation would like to welcome the Viet Nam del egation led by H.E Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, 
Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade. Myanmar further welcomes the Secretariat report 
(WT/TPR/S/410) and government report (WT/TPR/G/410) of Viet Nam second Trade Policy Review.  
4.355.   Our appreciation goes to the discus sant, H.E. Monique T.G. Van Daalen, Ambassador of the 
Netherlands to the WTO for her comprehensive remarks.  
4.356.   Myanmar and Viet Nam have enjoyed long -standing diplomatic and economic relations and 
both countries shared good cooperation in every possible area including trade and investment. 
Myanmar -Viet Nam Joint Trade Committee has been established since 2002 and MoU on Trade 
Cooperation has been signed in 2017.  
4.357.   Our bilateral trade volume has been growing steadily and in favour of Viet Nam. According 
to the St atistics 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.  
4.358.   Myanmar recognizes the m ajor economic strategies of Viet Nam in regional and international 
integration in recent years and congratulates the successful signing of bilateral and regional FTAs.  
4.359.   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%.  
4.360.   Myanmar welcomes the prospects of Viet Nam in promoting the implementation of FTAs but 
prioritizing ASEAN and its commitments in WTO. We also commend Viet Nam’s National Digital 
Transformation Program and National Telecommunication Development Strategies for the digital 
infrastructure development.  
4.361.   Before I conclude, I would also like to appreciate H.E. Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai and the 
members of the Perma nent Mission in Geneva for their hard work and excellent cooperation. I wish 
Viet Nam every success in its 2nd TPR.  
RUSSIAN  FEDERATION  
4.362.   We welcome the opportunity to participate in Viet Nam’s second Trade Policy Review.  
4.363.   Viet Nam is Russia’s long -standing ec onomic 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.  
4.364.   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 bilateral tra de turnover, resulting 
in a steady upward trend since then. In 2020, combined imports and exports amounted to 
USD 5,67 billion, rising by over 15% in comparison to the previous year.  
4.365.   Economic cooperation between our countries is guided by the Intergovernme ntal 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 ind ustries. 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.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.366.   Overall, Russia is satisfied by the cooperation with Viet Nam in the WTO and commends 
unwavering c ommitment 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 congratulate V iet Nam with a 
decent notification record.  
4.367.   In conclusion, we wish Hanoi a successful Trade Policy Review.  
MAURITIUS  
4.368.   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.  
4.369.   We congratulate the Government of Viet Nam and the WTO Secretariat for successfully 
completing the second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam despite these tryi ng times.  
4.370.   We also thank H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen of Netherlands for her insights about the 
TPR report.  
4.371.   For Mauritius, a developing nation, Viet Nam is an inspiring model of success and 
development. It is a country that has so much to offer to anyo ne who visits it. From its beautiful 
beaches to its lush forests and mountains while enjoying delicious cuisine, Viet Nam is simply an 
amazing destination.  
4.372.   We are happy to note that, in the last several years, Viet Nam’s economy has made 
significant achiev ements 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 internati onal players.  
4.373.   The economic growth of Viet Nam has indeed reflected in a significant drop in poverty and 
today the country has evolved from a largely agricultural based economy to a more diversified one, 
with impressive manufacturing and service sectors. In  this regard, we further commend Viet Nam 
for the development and successful implementation of its export -oriented trade policies.  
4.374.   While Mauritius and Viet Nam do not share extensive trade exchanges, we can testify of 
Viet Nam’s increasing integration in g lobal 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.  
4.375.   Mauritius and Viet Nam are also host to a number of multinational companies which has led 
to partnerships in service sectors. We are sure that our two countries can further collaborate in a 
number of act ivities such as tourism or computer -related services.  
4.376.   We would like to highlight that Viet Nam and Mauritius share a lot of commonalities in their 
development agenda and albeit at largely different magnitudes, both our countries have seen their 
economic gr owth beginning with agriculture, followed by textiles, manufacturing and services.  
4.377.   Mauritian companies are increasingly viewing Viet Nam’s industry players as potential 
collaborators which would contribute to our collective development and economic growth.  
4.378.   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.  
4.379.   Nonetheless, we are pleased to  note that Viet Nam’s rapid reactive policies have been able 
to contain, to a large extent, 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 deve loping 
nations.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.380.   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.  
4.381.   While the Government of Viet Nam has our support, we would, however, app eal 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.  
4.382.   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 country to thoroughly assess the real need 
to impose these measures and to consider the impact on the international community, especially on 
net food importing developi ng countries and LDCs.  
4.383.   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 integrate 
the global community. We hope that our two countries  can, in the future, develop more linkages and 
achieve great things together with all WTO Members.  
TAJIKISTAN  
4.384.   Tajikistan is pleased to participate in the second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam and would 
like to extend warm welcome to entire delegation of V iet Nam led by H.E. Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy 
Minister of Industry and Trade.  
4.385.   Tajik-Vietnamese 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.  
4.386.   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 Vi et 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.  
4.387.   We appreci ate the efforts of the Government of Viet Nam and the Secretariat in producing 
the reports and the discussant, H.E. Mrs. Monique T.G. Van Daalen of Netherlands for her valuable 
comments.  
4.388.   This second Trade Policy Review of Viet Nam provides a great opportun ity to understand its 
trade and investment regimes. The Republic of Tajikistan commends 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%.  
4.389.   We welcome the efforts of Viet Nam, particularly to advance WTO reform discussions 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 Agree ment in January 2017.  
4.390.   To conclude, the Republic of Tajikistan highly appreciates the hard work and strong 
commitment of Viet Nam and wishes a very successful and productive Trade Policy Review.  
NEPAL  
4.391.   Thank you chair for convening this meeting and giving m e 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 remarks 
delivered this morning. I wis h to congratulate the Government of Viet Nam for its comprehensive 
report and would like to commend the Secretariat 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.  
4.392.   My delegation commends Viet Nam’s continuous commitment to rules -based, fair, open and 
predictable multilateral trading system.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.393.   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.  
4.394.   Diversification and multilateralization of relations, building an open economy and integrat ing 
with the region and the world are some major policy guidelines.  
4.395.   Viet Nam has presented itself as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic economies in 
the region.  
4.396.   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.  
4.397.   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.  
4.398.   I commend Vie t 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.  
4.399.   Rapid growth in the size of trade with an increase of 332 times from 1986 to 2019, continued 
trade surplus from 2016 to 2 020, and significant increase in FDI are highly appreciated.  
4.400.   Strategy on Exports and Imports for 2011 -20, socio -economic development strategy 
2011-2020, and Vision 2030 remained major policy guidance to trade and economic development 
of the country.  
4.401.   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.  
4.402.   Improvement in investment regime by revising both the Enterpri se 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.  
4.403.   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 im pressive.  
4.404.   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 establishing the diplomatic relation in 1975.  
4.405.   Nepal and Viet Nam have been bound by commonality of culture and shared values.  
4.406.   Buddhism has remained one of the strongest binding threads between the peoples of the 
two countries.  
4.407.   With the passage of time, our ties have been advancing with increased interacti ons and close 
cooperation mainly due to increased economic and cultural relation.  
4.408.   Exchanges of high -level visits from both sides have further contributed to widening the 
relationship in different dimensions.  
4.409.   For instance, a side -line meeting of Prime Mini sters of both countries during the annual 
Davos World Economic Forum in January 2019, and a visit by Right Honourable Prime Minster of 
Nepal Mr.  KP Sharma Oli to Viet Nam in May 2019 offered good occasions to discuss measures to 
accelerate bilateral cooper ation across various fields.  
4.410.   The Signing of Agreement on Visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders, 
and MoU on establishment of bilateral consultation mechanism between the two Ministries of Foreign 
Affairs were important achievements of  the visit.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.411.   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.  
4.412.   Both the countries have taken an initiative of concluding a Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement which may further enhance our bilateral cooperation in trade and investment in th e days 
ahead.  
4.413.   Viet Nam is one of the major trade partners of Nepal particularly in importing goods from 
abroad. Trade data reveals that Nepal imported various goods from Viet Nam worth of about 
10 billion Nepali rupees in the year 2019. However, Nepal expo rted 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.  
4.414.   This calls for wider and deeper collaboration and partnership in trade, investment and 
tourism sectors for our mutu al benefit.  
4.415.   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 area s of collaboration between the two countries.  
4.416.   Nepal wishes to constructively engage with Viet Nam at bilateral level to further strengthen 
our partnership focusing on reducing the existing trade gap and enriching mutual benefits.  
4.417.   My delegation wishes Vie t Nam a successful Trade Policy Review.  
SRI LANKA  
4.418.   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 Secretariat and the Government of Viet Nam for their comprehensive repor ts made available 
to the delegations in advance of this meeting.  
4.419.   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. T he 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.  
4.420.   Viet Nam pursues export -oriented trade policies and recognizes international economic 
integration as a key driver for its institutional improvement, economic growth, and development. 
Given its deep in tegration into the global economy, Viet Nam suffered from the COVID -19 pandemic 
due to weakened demand and reduced trade. However, preliminary evidence indicates that 
Viet Nam's merchandise trade based on GVCs in 2020, particularly in the consumer electron ics and 
garment sectors, appeared not to be losing momentum, compared with those sectors' performance 
in 2019, partly reflecting the government's proactive measures.  
4.421.   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 the splitting of several tariff lines. Only second -hand motor vehicles 
are subject to applied non -ad valorem  rates. The highest tar iffs include 135% for five tariff lines 
concerning cigarettes. In 2020, the average bound rate was 14.7%. The simple average applied MFN 
tariff was 18.1% for agricultural products (WTO definition) and 10.9% for non -agricultural products. 
The difference bet ween bound and applied MFN rates leaves some scope for flexibility in Viet Nam's 
tariff policy. Tariff rate quotas regulate imports of eggs, sugar cane, tobacco, and salt.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.422.   On trade, Viet Nam is the 29th export destination for Sri Lankan merchandises and th e 17th 
supply source of imports to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s exports to Viet Nam gradually increased from 
2015 to 2018 but recorded 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 favour of Viet Nam.  
4.423.   My delegation notes with concerns that all the official documents/regulations/measures and 
reports pertaining to exporting to Viet Nam are made availab le 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 Agricultur e and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade 
(MOIT), which are published in their respective websites. This approval process seems to be of highly 
complex.  
4.424.   Regular delays in getting certain comprehensive inputs/clarifications from Government 
Institutions of Viet Nam and lack of information on import regulations/ procedures publicly available 
are major obstacles to enhance our bilateral relations.  
4.425.   On the bilateral front, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam have signed double taxation avoidance 
agreement in 2005 and it came into operation from 2007/2008. There is a bilateral investment treaty 
between the two countries, which came into force on 22 October 2019.  
4.426.   With a view of exchange of views and discuss on the issues of the topics of Political re lations, 
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 i n Education and Training, Cooperation in Culture, 
Legal and Judicial Cooperation, Cooperation in Regional and International Fora, Cooperation between 
the two countries, the Viet Nam –Sri Lanka Joint Economic Commission was established.  
4.427.   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.  
4.428.   Discussions were held on several 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 cooperatio n plans in the agricultural sector 
for the period of 2020 -2022, implementation plan for the period of 2020 -2022 of the MoU on bilateral 
cooperation in fisheries, strengthening cooperation in the field of textile and garment and 
manufacturing industrial mac hineries, reviewing and fully implementing the existing Agreements on 
Aviation Cooperation and Investment Promotion and Protection.  
4.429.   In concluding, my delegation appreciates Viet Nam’s highly valued contribution to the 
multilateral trading system and its ac tive engagement in the negotiations. We wish the Vietnamese 
delegation a successful deliberation on its second Trade Policy Review.  
KYRGYZ  REPUBLIC  
4.430.   The Kyrgyz Republic welcomes the delegation of Viet Nam, led by Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh, 
Deputy Minister of Indu stry and Trade, Head of the Vietnamese TPR delegation.  
4.431.   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 insightful comments.  
4.432.   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 multilateral trading s ystem centered on the WTO 
continuously.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  4.433.   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 Technology Agreement.  
4.434.   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, meetings of officials  were held within  the framework 
of participation in multilateral cooperation through the organizations such as the WTO, the United 
Nations, international conference s, etc. 
4.435.   The Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Viet Nam was signed 
on 29 May 201 3 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 Agreeme nt between EAEU from one side 
and the Kyrgyz Republic from another had a positive impact on strengthening and expanding trade 
in goods and services.  
4.436.   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.  
4.437.   Our countries have establi shed beneficial mutual trade. The dynamics of trade turnover from 
2016 to 2019 demonstrates th is 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.  
4.438.   The Kyrgyz Republic’s exports mainly  to Viet Nam meat products , dry plants used in 
pharmaceuticals . In turn, Viet Nam exports to th e Kyrgyz Republic mainly cellular telephones  (42%) , 
clothing items, rubber shoes, fish products and other goods.  
4.439.   In terms of services, it is worth to note that tourism has the mutual potential to increase 
share of trade in services.  
4.440.   The Kyrgyz Republic is  interested on further fruitful economic cooperation and deepening 
trade economic relations with Viet Nam.  
4.441.   The Kyrgyz Republic wishes a successful second Trade Policy Review to Viet Nam.  
REPÚBLICA  BOLIVARIANA  DE VENEZUELA  
4.442.   La delegación de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela desea saludar muy cordialmente a 
la delegación de Viet Nam encabezada por el Viceministro de Industria y Comercio, Sr. Tran Quoc 
Khanh, agradecer a la ponente, Embajadora de Países Bajos , Sra. Monique T.G. Van Daalen, por el 
análisis presentado que nos coloca en contexto y también a la Secretaría por la organización y 
documentación.  
4.443.   Iniciamos nuestra intervención destacando los lazos de hermandad y de cooperación 
comercial que nos unen con Vietnam. Durante 31 años de relaciones diplomáticas entre Venezuela 
y Vietnam, así como de 15 años de asociación integral entre ambas naciones, hemos firmado más 
de 50 proyectos de recuperación en distintos campos: ciencia y tecnología, educación, informac ión, 
agricultura y cultura.  
4.444.   En el área de la investigación agrícola entre ambas naciones, resaltamos que se han obtenido 
buenos resultados en la creación de variedades de arroz, lo cual garantizará la seguridad alimentaria 
en Venezuela. Asimismo, se han lo grado avances en el área de confección y producción de ropa y 
 
1 Committee on CRTA 2019, Ref: East Economic Forum in Vladivostok, 2019 . WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  calzado. Es de destacar que en el año 2020 se estableció la cámara empresarial binacional 
Venezuela -Vietnam, la cual colaborará y apoyará a los empresarios de ambas naciones.  
4.445.   Sobre el informe pr esentado por la Secretaría de la OMC correspondiente al segundo Examen 
de la política comercial de Viet Nam que cubre el periodo 2013 -2020, observamos muchos puntos 
positivos que demuestran su compromiso en cumplir sus obligaciones en el marco de la OMC, 
aplicando las mejores prácticas en todos los ámbitos de la gestión de su comercio internacional.  
4.446.   Valoramos que Viet Nam haya mantenido altas tasas de crecimiento del PIB, lo cual ha 
transformado al país en una economía emergente de renta media -baja. Aprecia mos que se haya 
reducido la tasa de pobreza que se encontraba por encima del 70% a principios de la década de 
1990 a menos del 6% en 2019. Resaltamos la Estrategia de Exportaciones e Importaciones para 
2011-20, Visión a 2030, en la que se establecen objeti vos relacionados con el comercio, con miras 
a alcanzar un superávit en la próxima década.  
4.447.   Otro elemento que destacamos es el papel que desempeña la inversión extranjera directa 
(IED) en la transformación económica de Vietnam, que representa el 20% del PIB,  generó 5 millones 
de puestos de trabajo en 2019 y representa una importante mejora de la productividad del país.  
4.448.   Como todos los Miembros de esta Organización, Viet Nam sufrió la pandemia del COVID -19 
debido al debilitamiento de la demanda y la reducción d el comercio. No obstante, nos reconforta 
que los datos preliminares indiquen que el comercio de mercancías de Vietnam, en particular en los 
sectores de la electrónica de consumo y la confección, parecieran no perder impulso, en comparación 
con los resultad os de esos sectores en 2019, lo que refleja en parte las medidas proactivas del 
Gobierno.  
4.449.   Al desearle a Viet Nam un exitoso Examen de política comercial, queremos finalizar nuestra 
intervención con un reconocimiento a la Embajadora Le Thi Tuyet Mai y a su equipo, al tiempo de 
reafirmar nuestros lazos de cooperación, así como el compromiso compartido con la conformación 
de un sistema de comercio multilateral, robusto, solidario, justo y predecible, basado en normas 
comunes y transparentes.  
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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 Ambassador Athaliah 
Lesiba Molokomme, Chairperson, from Ambassador of the Netherlands Monique Van Daalen – 
discussant, and from the repr esentatives of 43 WTO Members at the first session of the TPR of 
Viet Nam. We would also like to thank WTO Members for their positive remarks on the efforts 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 t hat Viet Nam's consistent policy is to promote the "Doi Moi" process as 
well as to continue deep and comprehensive international integration, towards the goal of turning 
Viet Nam into an 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 synchrono us 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 reaffirm that Viet Nam always respects and fully complies with our principl es 
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 com mitted, 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 redu ction roadmap period in 2019. In 2019, however, 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 chicken, 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 nearl y 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 c onducted openly and conveniently for all WTO Members.  
5.5.  In terms of creating favourable conditions for the business and investment environment, the 
Vietnamese Government has always considered this as one of the top priorities, thus has 
continuously been cond ucting reviews and assessment to promptly revise 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 investors. The Law on Investment has, in 
particular, provided supplemented regulations on announcing the list of industries and sectors with 
limitations on market access for foreign investors. Accordin gly, many areas include services and 
manufacturing will be now more open for foreign investors compared to when Viet Nam joined the 
WTO. This Law also address overlapping and inadequacies among business - and investment -related 
regulations, ensuring consist ency and unity of the legal system, reforming 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 attractiveness 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 procedures. Between 2016 and 2020, the 
government has reduced 3,893 out o f 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/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  Also during this period, 1,501 items subject to overlapping specialized inspection have als o 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, in cluding 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 t he 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 manageme nt 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 circumvention of origin fraud and illegal transshipment. Accordingly, 
the Ge neral 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 procedures, risk management, 
post-customs clearance inspection, 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 forging certificates of origin; reviewing and identifying 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 D epartment of Customs inspected over 
100 suspected enterprises and detected 41 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 b icycles, 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 among domestic agencies, ministries and international agencies and or ganizations 
has contributed to ensuring the fairness of trade environment.  
5.11.   Regarding the reform and equitization of state -owned enterprises, the Government of 
Viet Nam is actively implementing necessary measures for these enterprises to operate more 
effect ively 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 to buy shares in Vietnamese 
joint stock commercial banks and commerci al 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 enterprises 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, namely the amendment of the Law on Intellectual Property and guiding d ocuments 
to create a complete legal basis to strengthen combating and handling intellectual property 
infringement activities, including strengthening state management and effective enforcement of 
copyright and related rights, especially in the network envi ronment. The Law amending the Law on 
Intellectual Property will be submitted to the XV legislation of the National Assembly 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 favourable conditions for the implemen tation, especially the enforcement of 
intellectual property rights, Viet Nam is amending a number of decrees and circulars to detail and WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  provide guidance to the implementation of the amendments of the Law on Intellectual Property, for 
example, clarifying t he 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 responsibilities 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 copyrig ht and 
related rights, including: the Marrakesh Treaty; the World Intellectual Property Organization 
Copyright Treaty (WCT Treaty); and the World Intellectual Property Organization Performances and 
Phonograms 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 cyberspace for the period 2021 -2025.  
5.16.   On draft legislat ions 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 characteris tics, 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, towards 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 addressed issues of concern to 
WTO Members, especi ally 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 regulat ions on drug regulatory authorities as per Circular 
No. 32/2018/TT -BYT on marketing authorization of drugs and medicinal ingredients. Such 
regulations are to ensure quality monitoring of imported medicines in the ultimate pursuit of public 
health protectio n. This is the result of Vietnamese authorities having evaluated applications for 
medicine marketing authorization based on technical 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 effective 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 restri ction or restraining measure be applied are only 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 princip le, have developed based on scientific evidence and recommendations from 
international organizations.  
5.23.   Regarding TBT, Viet Nam has been persistently promoting enhancement in harmonization 
between the national standards system and regional, and international  counterparts. Since 2013, 
such rate in Viet Nam has raised from 40% to 60%. Viet Nam affirms the promulgation of technical WT/TPR/W/ 192 • 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 measures 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 pr oducts, 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 Nam'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 
Gender Equality for the period 2011 -2020 with the aim of raising awareness, narrowing the gender 
gap and enhancing the status of women; actively implement international 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 the fastest in the past 20 years.  
5.27.   Vietnamese women account for over 60% of the population and al most 50% of the work 
force, consistently increasing their involvement 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 wit h the highest female representation in the National Assembly 
in the region and the world. Women currently are empowered in many key executive positions of 
the state such as Member 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 the Gender Equity Working Group. I myself 
am in charge of the Gender Equity Working Group of the MOIT and we have certain goals to achieve 
of fema le leadership in our workplace.  
5.29.   Regarding participation in the GPA and ITA2 as well as initiatives and negotiations on 
e-commerce, and investment facilitation, Viet Nam is actively, rigorously, and comprehensively 
looking into the benefits 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 the 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 c losely 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 o f the meeting 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 become an important trading partner and one of the most 
important in the region.  
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 integratio n into the WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  world economy have enabled Viet Nam to foster trade as a driver of economic 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 Organization. Members welcom ed 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 t he TRIPS Agreement. Moreover, Viet Nam has become a party to numerous bilateral 
and regional 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 part y to the Government Procurement Agreement and participating in the 
informal working group on Trade and Gender. Furthermore, some Members invited Viet Nam to join 
the Joint Statement Initiative negotiations on E -commerce, Investment Facilitation and Domesti c 
Regulation.  
5.35.   WTO Members commended Viet Nam for its domestic reforms to dismantle the 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 Inv estment Laws have resulted in a significant 
improvement of the business environment. This is also highlighted by the progress made in the WEF 
Global Competitiveness Index and the World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking.  
5.36.   Some Members indicated that furth er action is warranted to allow Viet Nam to reach its full 
potential. Room for further 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 of 
intellectual property rights to facilitate innovation and economic development. Furthermore, 
Members encouraged Viet Nam to strengthen its attempts to combat fraud, corr uption 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 y ou. 
EUROPEAN  UNION  
5.39.   Let me first thank Viet Nam for the comprehensive overview presented on Tuesday of the 
main economic and trade -related developments during the review period.  
5.40.   The EU is pleased to note that this Review has been very useful for better und erstanding of 
Viet Nam’s trade policy and hopes that it will duly take into account some 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.  
UNITED  STATES  
5.44.   The United St ates would very much like to thank Viet Nam’s delegation, led by H.E. Deputy 
Minister Tran Quoc Khanh, for the work which has 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 demon strated by the WT/TPR/W/ 192 • Viet Nam  
 
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  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 National Trade Facilitation 
Committee. We note with interest Viet N am’s partnership with the Global Alliance for Trade 
Facilitation to develop a modern customs bond system for the conditional release of goods. With 
support from USAID’s Trade Facilitation Project, Viet Nam is now regularly reviewing its progress to 
impleme nt 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 Through 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 transit of goods through Viet Nam. We look forward to updat es 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 future, which are 
frequently provided 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 highligh ted 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 proposed 
domestic ban for glyphosate. We look forward to receiving and reviewing Viet Nam’s responses.  
5.51.   We also would like t o 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 ad dition 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 Intell ectual Property and 
continuing public awareness campaigns 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 ministri es and agencies responsible for enforcement, and 
widespread counterfeiting 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 enforceme nt 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 achieve a 
meaningful agreement. We recognize Viet Nam’s efforts to reform  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 working 
together to resolve outstanding issues and further strengthen our bilateral relationship, and to 
continue good cooperation here at the WTO and in ASEAN, APEC, and other fora.  
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  JAPAN  
5.55.   Japan really appreciates the efforts made by Viet Nam and also appreciates 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 thank our discussant H.E. Ambassador Moniqu e Van Daalen for 
her insightful remarks, the 31 Members who submitted 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' substanti ve 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 sustained export -led growth, which is a 
continu ation 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 business environment in this regard. Membe rs 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 inc lusive 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 expressed interest in learning 
Viet Nam's policies to foster women's participation in the eco nomy; 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 contribution to the multilateral trading sy stem 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 del iverables. Viet Nam is a party of the Joint 
Statement Initiative on micro, small and medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs). Members invited 
Viet Nam to explore the possibility of joining other initiatives, such as on investment 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 subsidies, and customs procedures 
and valuation. Members looked forward to improvements in th is 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, inc rease transparency 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 i nterest in promoting and developing 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, telecommunications, 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 res tricted sectors to fully exploit their 
potentials while offering new opportunities for foreign investors.  WT/TPR/W/ 192 • 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 promote IP awareness and use in 
Viet Nam were recognized, while delegatio ns encouraged 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 electronic 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 cu stoms valuation 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 
harmonization 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 question s and answered 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 that 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 develop ed 
and high -income country by 2045.  
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