Vietnamese exporters urged to navigate tightening EU technical barriers

Six years into the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), bilateral trade expanded from US$49.8 billion in 2019 to nearly US$74 billion by late 2025, generating a record trade surplus of US$38.6 billion for Vietnam. However, access to the bloc now hinges on compliance with heightened environmental and safety standards.

Speaking at the meeting organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC), Deputy Director Tran Phu Lu highlighted several key compliance hurdles. These include France's "Zero Tolerance" policy on pesticide residues, the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requiring 100% of packaging to be recyclable by 2030, and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), set for enforcement in late 2026, which mandates full supply chain traceability for coffee, rubber, and timber products.

To overcome these barriers, Lu recommended that businesses secure international food safety certifications such as HACCP and ISO 22000, strictly control chemical residues, invest in deep processing, and adopt eco-friendly packaging.

Echoing this strategy, Le Hoang An, founder of Anvan Dried Food Co., Ltd., emphasized that Vietnam’s agricultural sector must shift from exporting raw materials to high-value processed goods.

Implementing advanced processing technology helps preserve native resources while meeting strict international technical requirements, and enhancing the global competitiveness of Vietnamese produce.

Vietnam’s agro-forestry- fishery exports reached US$50.75 billion in 2025 and are projected to top US$74 billion in 2026. In Ho Chi Minh City, fruit and vegetable exports grew 15.84% year-on-year during the seven-month period of 2026.

The city has recently launched a quality enhancement and market development program for 2026-2030 to help local agricultural products expand their market share in the EU.

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Agricultural exporters need to adapt proactively to diverging sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements as the European Union (EU) tightens food safety controls, officials said, adding that compliance has become essential to maintaining access to key export markets.

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