Promoting exports to the EU via Polish gateway

Tran Phu Lu, deputy director of the HCM City’s Investment & Trade Promotion Centre addresses the event (Photo: Industry and Trade newspaper)

Tran Phu Lu, deputy director of the HCM City’s Investment & Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), said that located in the heart of Europe, Poland can be viewed as an important and dynamic market that can provide easier entry to the EU market of 500 million consumers.

The enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) also presents a wealth of opportunities that can promote trade exchange between Vietnam and Poland, said Lu.

Most notably, despite the negative impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, two-way trade turnover between both sides reached US$2.115 billion last year, representing a surge of 17.6% compared to 2019.

Piotr Harasimowicz, chief representative officer at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Ho Chi Minh City, noted Vietnam represents Poland’s 19th largest commodity exporter, with key export products including computers, electronic products and components, machinery, equipment, textiles and garments, coffee, and footwear.

Following the implementation of the EVFTA, local goods are set to enjoy bright prospects when attempting to penetrate both Poland and the EU in the near future due to substantial tariff reductions, he added.

Dang Thai Thien from the HCM City Customs Department advised local enterprises to meet stringent standards of quarantine, as well as Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) when exporting goods to the EU market.

Domestic businesses should learn about technical barriers to trade (TBT), such as regulations on food hygiene and safety, along with stricter traceability regulations in order to ensure legal timber origins under the Voluntary Forest Enforcement, Governance and Trade Agreement (VPA / FLEGT), said Thien.

Moreover, he said Vietnamese firms should learn about the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that serve to protect rare and precious wild animals and plants, thereby avoiding violations when exporting to EU member states.

Experts at the seminar also advised fisheries businesses to pay close attention to regulations on preventing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) under the European Commission's recommendations.

Thien underlined the need to adhere to the rules of origin and enjoy tariff preferences under the EVFTA. He suggested businesses devise market research solutions and invest in advanced technologies aimed at developing high-quality products to fully meet the stringent requirements set by importers.