Forum promotes exports of agricultural products to EU

ABO/NDO – The 2018 Vietnam – EU Trade Forum, themed ‘Agro-trading: Partnership for sustainable development’, was held in Hanoi on December 6, aiming to promote exports of agricultural products to this market.

Participants shared the trends of Vietnam’s agricultural products in major export markets and their experience in the development of smart agriculture – one of the EU’s strategies.

Speaking at the forum, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Cao Quoc Hung, emphasised that the EU is a prosperous economic region with its GDP accounting for 23% of the world’s nominal GDP and an annual average per capita income up to US$40,890.

 

The forum offered an opportunity for economic experts to share difficulties and challenges for Vietnam – EU trade, helping enterprises to remove barriers and obstacles in production and business as well as providing updates and forecasts on the EU’s policies and regulations for imported agriculture products.

 

Many trade experts said that the first barrier for the exports of Vietnam’s agricultural products to the EU market was the lack of linkage between farmers and enterprises.

 

According to a representative from the MoIT, Vietnam has advantages in production and exports of tropical agricultural products to the EU, particularly when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) takes effect. However, this market has strict regulations on product quality and food hygiene and safety.

French Agricultural Counselor in Vietnam, Alexandre Bouchot, said it is crucial to decentralise the management of food policy, promote local initiatives, enhance the attraction of enterprises’ investment in agriculture, and focus on training to meet practical requirements.