Thursday, 10/12/2020 16:52 (GMT+7)
Vietnam is now Italy's largest partner in ASEAN and is seeing steady growth. In August 2020, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) officially came into effect, and is expected to boost two-way trade exchange. Mr. Antonio Alessandro, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, talked positively about the trade relations between the two countries.
Vietnamese agricultural products introduced in a fair in Italy in 2019 (Photo: VNA)
According to Ambassador Antonio Alessandro, in 2019, trade exchange between Vietnam and Italy prospered. Two-way trade turnover of the two countries reached EUR5.34 billion, of which, Vietnam's export value to the Italian market reached EUR3.44 billion, and the export value of Italy to Vietnam reached EUR1.9 billion.
Noting that although the situation has been badly affected by COVID-19, the figures in the past 3 months have improved.
Regarding the EVTFA, he expressed his confidence that it would help spike the two countries' trade, not just the numbers but also the quality of the goods. The EVFTA is a trade agreement that focuses not only on tariff reductions but also an agreement on standards. Therefore, to adapt to the new environment, both Vietnamese and Italian products have to improve quality.
“Vietnamese goods have great potential in the Italian market,” he said, adding that for Italians, Vietnamese goods are of good quality and highly appreciated. The Italians especially love Vietnamese seafood, coffee and other agricultural products. Currently, the export value of Vietnamese agricultural products in Italy is very high, about EUR2 billion, 4 times higher than the opposite direction. This proves the attraction of Vietnamese goods in this market./.
Compiled by BTA