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Food

Vietnam's Agricultural Exports to EU and UK Markets Show Steady Growth

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lam Dong Province co-organized a conference to update regulations and commitments on food safety and animal and plant quarantine (SPS) in the EVFTA and UKVFTA agreements. According to the Vietnam SPS Office, the number of warnings from the EU on Vietnamese agricultural and food exports decreased by about 50% in the first 9 months of this year compared to the same period last year.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has been in effect since August 1, 2020, and has led to many positive results in agricultural trade between Vietnam and the EU.
  • Key industries such as coffee, pepper, seafood, and vegetables have effectively taken advantage of opportunities from the agreement, with exports to the EU growing strongly.
  • The UK market has also been a significant export destination for Vietnam's agricultural products, with an average growth rate of about 10% per year since the implementation of the Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) in 2021.
  • However, there are still many challenges related to food safety and disease control, particularly in the case of exports to the EU and UK.
  • The EU regulates the maximum residue levels of pesticides and antibiotics in detail, with different levels for each product and industry, making it a challenge for businesses to comply.
  • Vietnam has reduced the number of products subject to border control from 21 to 4, a remarkable achievement, and the number of warnings from the EU on Vietnamese exported agricultural products decreased by about 50% in the first 9 months of this year.

Statistics:

  • Vietnam receives about 1,000 notifications from markets in 166 WTO members each year, with the EU and UK being the two markets with the largest number of changes in regulations on food safety and quarantine.
  • The demand for imported agricultural products in the EU is forecasted to reach nearly 364 billion USD in 2025, with an increase of 2.6% from the previous year.
  • In the first 9 months of 2025, the number of warnings from the EU on Vietnamese exported agricultural products decreased by about 50% compared to the same period last year.

Sources:

  • Vietnam SPS Office
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
  • Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lam Dong Province
  • European Union
  • WTO
  • Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA)
  • Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)

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