Japan is set to lift 86 percent of the tariff lines for Vietnamese products in line with its commitments in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued Circular No 03/2019/TT-BCT stipulating the certificates of origin (C/O) rules in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The Prime Minister approved the ‘Scheme of deploying, applying and managing the traceability system’ with the goal to build and operate a portal on national product and goods traceability by 2020.

Tensions between the United States and China are about to get more complicated, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) poised to begin an investigation into US President Donald Trump's tariffs on US$250 billion (S$338 billion) of Chinese goods.

Enhancing product quality and optimising production cost would help domestic steel producers compete with the cheap products imported from China, Nguyễn Văn Sưa, deputy president of the Việt Nam Steel Association, said.

Public investment has been seen as an important area in the annual socio-economic development tasks. Therefore, in its Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP, issued at the beginning of the year, the Government has urged for the restructuring of investment, with a focus on public investment.

Being the deal’s co-founder, Vietnam has the rights to accept or refuse a third country joining the CPTPP, while future participants could not propose too many new clauses to the deal as they must accept existing conditions.

New Zealand is closing in on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union, while a similar deal will be on the agenda with the UK once it finalises Brexit arrangements.

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has recommended campaigning for a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia as existing tariff differential disadvantaged Pakistani exporters against competitors.

Despite initial hiccups, most of Viet Nam’s car firms are now complying with import rules that were tightened early last year, according to Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng.