{"id":2121,"date":"2026-07-04T08:27:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T01:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rbv.com.vn\/?p=2121"},"modified":"2026-07-04T19:45:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T12:45:19","slug":"viet-nam-and-efta-conclude-fta-negotiations-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbv.com.vn\/en\/viet-nam-and-efta-conclude-fta-negotiations-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Viet Nam and EFTA Conclude FTA Negotiations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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News<\/span><\/p>\n

Viet Nam and EFTA Conclude FTA Negotiations after Nearly 14 Years: Implications for Businesses Exporting to These Markets?<\/h1>\n

On 2 July 2026, Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) \u2014 Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland \u2014 officially announced the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, opening a new gateway to some of Europe’s leading purchasing-power markets.<\/p>\n

Published: 4 July 2026  \u2022  RBV \u2014 Responsible Business Vietnam<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Legal status note:<\/strong> The two sides have concluded negotiations<\/strong> through a Joint Communiqu\u00e9 dated 2 July 2026 \u2014 the agreement has not yet been signed<\/strong> and is not yet in force. According to the Norwegian Government, signing is expected in autumn 2026; entry into force will depend on each party’s ratification process.[2]<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What happened<\/h2>\n

The Joint Communiqu\u00e9 followed the EFTA Ministerial Meeting held in Reykjav\u00edk, Iceland, on 22 June 2026, attended by the Foreign Ministers of the EFTA States and Viet Nam’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan.[1]<\/sup> Negotiations began in 2012, went through a prolonged hiatus, resumed on 8 September 2025 in Geneva, and were completed after five additional rounds \u2014 21 formal rounds in total.[1][2]<\/sup><\/p>\n

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EUR 4.8bn<\/div>\n
Viet Nam \u2013 EFTA bilateral trade in 2025<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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EUR 2.5bn<\/div>\n
Viet Nam’s trade surplus (up from EUR 0.5bn a decade earlier)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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>10%\/year<\/div>\n
Average annual growth of Viet Nam’s top export categories to EFTA over the past decade<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

From negotiation to implementation<\/h2>\n
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2012<\/span><\/p>\n

Viet Nam \u2013 EFTA FTA negotiations launched.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

8 Sep 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

Negotiations resumed in Geneva after a prolonged hiatus; five additional rounds held.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

22 Jun 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

EFTA Ministerial Meeting in Reykjav\u00edk marks the conclusion of negotiations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

2 Jul 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Joint Communiqu\u00e9 announces the conclusion of negotiations<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Autumn 2026 (expected)<\/span><\/p>\n

Formal signing of the agreement (per the Norwegian Government).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Post-signing<\/span><\/p>\n

Domestic ratification by the parties, followed by publication of the entry-into-force roadmap, tariff schedules and detailed rules of origin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Scope: a comprehensive, new-generation FTA<\/h2>\n

According to the Joint Communiqu\u00e9, the agreement covers trade in goods, trade in services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS), technical barriers to trade (TBT), investment, intellectual property rights, trade remedies, government procurement, trade and sustainable development (TSD)<\/strong>, small and medium-sized enterprises, and cooperation and capacity building.[1]<\/sup><\/p>\n

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Most notable points for exporters<\/h3>\n