At the meeting (Photo: congthuong.vn)
The Netherlands is Vietnam's second largest export market in Europe. The Dutch market has always been evaluated as a gateway and one of the transshipment centers for goods entering the European market, helping to connect ports and industrial zones with Europe, a significant part of Vietnam's exports entering the Netherlands to go to other European countries.
According to statistics from the General Department of Customs, in the first three months of 2022, Vietnam exported more than USD2.25 billion to the Netherlands, up 18%; and imported more than USD139.9 million, down 9.8% from the same period in 2021. Total two-way trade turnover reached USD2.39 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15.9%.
In terms of investment, the Netherlands ranks 8th out of 140 countries and territories with direct investment capital in Vietnam. Currently, Dutch enterprises invest in 380 projects, with a total direct investment capital of USD13.55 billion.
Despite many positive results, according to Deputy Minister Dang Hoang An, the bilateral trade relationship between Vietnam and the Netherlands still has a lot of room for development, especially since the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has taken effect.
Affirming that the relationship between the two countries has developed continuously over the past time, Deputy Minister Schuiling expected her visit this time to contribute to further promoting the relationship between the two countries.
Regarding the EVFTA, she emphasized the importance of the agreement and confirmed that there is still plenty of room for businesses of the two countries to strengthen cooperation.
At the meeting, Deputy Minister Schuiling also expressed support for Vietnam's green energy transformation program, asserting that the Netherlands is ready to support, share and cooperate with Vietnam in the fields in which the Netherlands has experience.
Deputy Minister Dang Hoang An welcomed the close cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands in many fields, including fields in the charge of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, such as trade, green energy transformation, circular economy and logistics.
He affirmed that the Netherlands is an important trade partner of Vietnam and suggested that in the coming time, the two sides should take concrete and more effective cooperation steps in the fields that already have a good cooperation background.
He added he hoped that Ms Schuiling would pay attention to and actively promote activities so that the Dutch Parliament would soon put the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) on the agenda; and suggested the Netherlands consider asking the EU to soon remove the "IUU yellow card" on Vietnamese seafood.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue to strengthen cooperation and promote specific projects in the fields of trade, logistics, sustainable energy and circular economy in the coming time./.