9th Round of Negotiations - 26-29 August 2014 in Hanoi

05/09/2014    79

Negotiating teams from Vietnam and EFTA met for a ninth round of free trade talks in Hanoi from 26 to 29 August 2014.

The round was held in a concentrated format focused on trade in goods and services, and rules of origin. Based on the outcome of this meeting, the two sides decided to convene for a comprehensive round of discussions in Geneva from 7 to 10 October this year. Experts also adopted a programme of substantial follow-up work in preparation for the next meeting.

With total merchandise trade between EFTA and Vietnam valued at USD 1.76 billion in 2013, Vietnam is a significant trading partner in South-East Asia. In parallel with the EFTA negotiations, Vietnam is involved in other important free trade processes, including with the European Union and the Transpacific Partnership (TPP).

Source: WTO Center and Integration