Geneva: The European Union used the Vietnam trade policy review at the World Trade Organization on 4 November to deliver a clear message to Hanoi, namely that the free trade agreement works but regulatory unpredictability now threatens its gains. Deputy Permanent Representative Antonio Fernández-Martos spoke for the EU, while Ambassador Mai Phan Dũng led the Vietnamese delegation.
The tone began warmly. During the Vietnam trade policy review, the EU recalled that both sides raised relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in January 2026 and called the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, or EVFTA, a strong foundation. Brussels credited Vietnam with sustained growth, poverty reduction and deeper integration into global value chains, and it welcomed Hanoi’s acceptance of the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement and its participation in the MPIA interim appeal arrangement.
The substance of the intervention lay in its requests. European exporters complain about successive draft regulations and requirements that appear at short notice or without implementing guidance. The EU named cosmetics and food safety initiatives as examples and asked for timely notification, real consultation, adequate transition periods and consistent enforcement across provinces. In a Vietnam trade policy review, such language signals frustration that has built up through company channels for some time.
Transparency formed a second thread. The EU urged Hanoi to file outstanding WTO notifications on subsidies, import licensing and state trading enterprises, and to disclose its investment incentives in full. It also pressed for competitive neutrality between state-owned and private firms, wider opening in telecoms, distribution, transport and professional services, and simpler licensing procedures.
Public procurement and digital rules drew pointed questions. The EU queried restrictions on international bidding and rules that require foreign suppliers to work through domestic contractors, and it encouraged Vietnam to consider joining the WTO Government Procurement Agreement. On digital trade, Brussels asked for clear, proportionate rules on foreign e-commerce and cloud services, and it invited Hanoi to join the plurilateral Agreement on Electronic Commerce and the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement.
The stakes of the Vietnam trade policy review reach well beyond Geneva. Vietnam plans to mobilise about 38.5 quadrillion dong in investment over 2026 to 2030, and capital on that scale flows more readily where rules stay predictable. The EU therefore framed its asks as support for Vietnam’s own growth model, pointing to risk-based regulation, help for small firms, stronger intellectual property enforcement including geographical indications, and progress on fundamental ILO labour conventions.
The exercise also reflects a wider EU trade strategy in Southeast Asia. Brussels wants its second agreement in the region after Singapore to prove that implementation, not signature, delivers value. A Vietnam trade policy review gives the Commission a multilateral stage to document gaps that the bilateral committees under the EVFTA can then pursue in detail.
The real test comes in the months ahead. If Hanoi answers the EU’s written questions with concrete timelines on notifications, transition periods and procurement access, this Vietnam trade policy review will mark a turning point in EVFTA delivery. If it does not, Brussels holds a growing file of specific trade concerns, from cosmetics to alcoholic beverages, ready for the next trade committee.
