Recently, a series of European countries have proposed new regulations for export goods, adding technical barriers to Vietnamese goods exported to this market area.
Markets raise standards for exports
According to statistics recently released by the General Department of Customs, the country's total import-export turnover in 2024 reached a new record of 786.3 billion USD. Compared to 2023, the country's total import-export turnover increased by more than 105 billion USD. Of which, exports reached 405.53 billion USD, up 14.3%; imports reached 380.76 billion USD, up 16.7%.
Thanks in part to the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and integration frameworks that Vietnam participates in, Vietnam's goods exports to many markets will flourish in 2024.
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| Many markets raise standards for imported goods (Photo: Can Dung) |
However, Vietnam's exports to many markets are facing new barriers that businesses must overcome. For example, according to information from the Center for Industry and Trade Information (Ministry of Industry and Trade), the United Kingdom is one of Vietnam's major export markets for agricultural and food products. Vietnam's exports of agricultural and food products to the UK have grown positively, despite many challenges.
Specifically, according to statistics from the General Department of Customs, in the first 10 months of 2024, the export turnover of many key agricultural products of Vietnam to the UK grew positively compared to the same period in 2023. Of which, coffee is the largest export item, reaching 24.05 thousand tons in the first 10 months of 2024 with a value of 108.2 million USD, down 23.4% in volume, but up 29.1% in value compared to the same period in 2023. Cashew nut exports reached 17.03 thousand tons, worth 87.3 million USD, up 9.6% in volume and up 10% in value. Vegetable and fruit exports reached 31.5 million USD, up 55.7% and pepper reached 5.2 thousand tons, worth 26.7 million USD, up 22% in volume and 45.8% in value over the same period in 2023...
The UK market is still considered a potential market for Vietnamese goods. However, recently, the UK has continuously notified the WTO about its plan to apply maximum residue levels (MRL) for some active ingredients such as fludioxonil, isotianil, flonicamid... in imported products such as mango, papaya, nuts, shelled beans...
Or for the EU market, Vietnam's textile and garment exports to the EU market in the first 10 months of 2024 reached 3.54 billion USD, an increase of 10.2% over the same period in 2023, accounting for 11.5% of the country's total textile and garment export turnover.
However, according to information from the Center for Industry and Trade Information, on September 20, 2024, the European Commission published Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 on adding a new Section 79 to Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (REACH Regulation) relating to undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and substances related to PFHxA. This regulation places restrictions on this PFAS in various products such as: Textiles, footwear, food packaging, firefighting foams, etc. Accordingly, the chemical 'PFHxA' and products containing this substance (including textiles and footwear) will be banned in the EU.
Another ban that was recently applied by the EU was on December 20, 2024, when the European Commission (EC) announced a ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in materials that come into contact with food and beverages.
Sustainability in export products should be emphasized.
According to experts, consumer trends in Europe in general are shifting strongly towards organic, environmentally friendly and sustainable products.
Therefore, to maintain export growth to this market area, in addition to quality and price factors, Vietnamese manufacturing and exporting enterprises need to research, grasp market demand, invest in improving production processes, and meet technical standards.
For example, with textiles, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy - Director, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden, concurrently in Northern Europe - said that the sustainable fashion and textile market in Northern Europe in particular and Europe in general is growing strongly, thanks to the increasing awareness of consumers about the impact of the fashion industry on the environment. Consumers always prioritize environmentally friendly and socially responsible products. Products made from organic or recycled materials, produced according to environmental protection standards and workers' rights, are increasingly dominating the market.
“ The EU’s promotion of the Sustainable Textile Strategy opens up many opportunities for Vietnamese textile and garment enterprises, especially in the context of the increasingly strong trend of sustainable fashion consumption in Northern Europe. Vietnam has many advantages to exploit this market, such as abundant natural resources and traditional handicraft techniques, meeting the demand for sustainability and cultural factors. However, it is also a challenge to require enterprises to not only use environmentally friendly materials but also ensure that the production process does not cause pollution and the products are highly recyclable,” Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy informed.
Or for the leather and footwear industry, according to the representative of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association, the opportunities and potential for the development of the Vietnamese leather, footwear and handbag industry are still very large. However, the "greening" trend in the world is increasingly demanding on businesses, especially export businesses.
For footwear enterprises, the pressure to green transformation is huge as textiles and footwear are industries that still cause high levels of environmental pollution. Therefore, footwear enterprises cannot stay out of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, apply automated production lines, artificial intelligence (AI), green development... if they do not want to be eliminated from the global supply chain.
Experts also believe that the European region is one of Vietnam's key markets. Therefore, export enterprises need to constantly update relevant regulations and policies from countries in this region to avoid risks, along with appropriate export strategies and careful preparation, to expand the position of Vietnamese goods in the international market.
| In 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Trade set a target of increasing export turnover by 12% compared to 2024. This target is considered relatively challenging in the context of markets that have been increasingly demanding higher standards for imported goods. |
Source: https://congthuong.vn/hang-loat-thi-truong-them-rao-can-voi-hang-nhap-khau-369389.html
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