Effectively exploiting free trade agreements

Binh Duong has been proactively and actively integrating into the international economy ; taking advantage of the free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed to promote the export of key products with high added value. With the results achieved, Binh Duong has just been honored as the 3rd locality in the group of provinces and cities with the highest index of evaluating the results of implementing free trade agreements, with a total score of 34.02 points.

Enhance integration capacity

In 2024, Binh Duong will have a trade surplus of 9 billion 992 million USD. Binh Duong has 6 items with an export turnover of over 1 billion USD, with a total export value of 19.31 billion USD, accounting for 56.17% of the province's total export turnover. Of these 6 items, iron and steel exports increased by 32.4%; wood and wood products increased by 17.6%; textiles and garments increased by 15.1%; footwear increased by 13.8%... According to the Department of Industry and Trade, in 2024 and the first 3 months of 2025, most of the province's key export items grew. Enterprises took advantage of opportunities from the free trade agreements (FTAs) that Vietnam has signed and implemented to export to these markets.

Enterprises in Binh Duong province strive to improve their export position. In the photo: Cargo transportation activities at Binh Duong General Port. Photo: NGOC THANH

Mr. Bui Minh Tri, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, said that in 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1093/QD-UBND on the plan to implement international economic integration activities in Binh Duong province in 2024. Accordingly, the goal of the plan is to strengthen information, propaganda and capacity building on international economic integration, focusing on disseminating outstanding international integration events in 2024 and in-depth information on FTAs that Vietnam participates in, especially the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP). Along with that, the locality promotes coordination in implementing specialized integration activities between Binh Duong and the Inter-sectoral Steering Committee for International Economic Integration, central ministries and branches; Strengthening the implementation of research and forecasting activities on international integration situation.

In 2024, Binh Duong signed 4 cooperation documents with international partners, including: Officially signing and establishing friendly cooperation relations with Heidelberg city (Germany); signing a Letter of Intent on cooperation - exchange - friendship with Ha Nam province (China); signing a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB); signing a Memorandum of Understanding on the "Urban Growth Partnership Program" with Becamex IDC Corporation and Korea Real Estate Corporation (LH).

In addition, the locality has implemented plans to concretize policies, programs, plans... on international economic integration; make good use of opportunities and minimize challenges and negative impacts brought about by FTAs; at the same time promote the potential and strengths of Binh Duong, maximize resources for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, improve people's material and spiritual life, maintain political and social stability, strengthen national defense and security...

Ms. Phan Thi Khanh Duyen, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said that the industry and trade sector has been promoting the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws on international integration, FTAs, import-export markets, and trade defense; diversifying forms of propaganda and appropriate information channels to widely disseminate to each agency, unit, enterprise and people in the province about the FTAs that Vietnam participates in. "We regularly contact and coordinate with departments, bureaus and overseas trade offices under the Ministry of Industry and Trade to promptly grasp market developments and needs and provide information to enterprises to be proactive in production and business; promote support for enterprises to use e-commerce, participate in major domestic and foreign e-commerce platforms to serve exports," said Ms. Phan Thi Khanh Duyen.

Proactively prevent and respond to risks

According to Mr. Pham Van Xo, Chairman of Binh Duong Import-Export Association, in recent times, the sectors have supported and encouraged enterprises, cooperatives, and production establishments in the province to promote production, innovate, improve product quality, enhance competitiveness, expand consumption markets, and move towards effective export. In the current increasingly fierce international competition trend, enterprises must enhance competitiveness, innovate, and improve product and service quality. In addition, enterprises need to proactively prevent and respond to potential risks such as market fluctuations, technical barriers to trade, and unfair competition; pay attention to issues of sustainable development, ensuring social security in the integration process, etc.

Enterprises strive to improve product quality to meet market demands. In the photo: Production activities at Kim Sang Joint Stock Company

Ms. Truong Thuy Lien, Vice President of Binh Duong Leather and Footwear Association, said that Binh Duong has proactively organized and implemented well the propaganda, dissemination and raising awareness of enterprises about international economic integration in general and the FTAs that Vietnam participates in in particular, especially the opportunities and challenges from FTAs in business activities with foreign partners. Binh Duong also organized conferences to introduce new and potential export markets; coordinated with the Inter-sectoral Steering Committee for International Economic Integration to promote the potential of goods exports and improve the capacity to respond to trade defense cases. On the enterprise side, the first priority is to improve internal strength and adapt to the requirements of the markets...

To be continued...

TIEU MY - THANH TUYEN

Source: https://baobinhduong.vn/khai-thac-hieu-qua-cac-hiep-dinh-thuong-mai-tu-do-bai-1-a345519.html