How firms can avoid road blocks

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Vietnam’s key export markets like the US, EU and Japan have given more regulations on technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS). Is that the case?

Within the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1995 to 2011, TBT measures quadrupled in number, from 400 to more than 1,600.

Major countries with TBT-related trade concerns are the EU 66, China 41, US 37, South Korea 26 and Brazil 18. Accelerating TBT has adversely affected international trade.

However, presenting TBT is the right of importing countries, while exporting countries can forward proposals asking importers to consider whether these measures match WTO regulations or global trade practices.

Vietnamese firms still remain passive in appraising and analysing trade barrier impacts in import markets.

What sort of TBTs  should local firms pay special attention to?

A WTO TBT Committee meeting in Geneva in March, 2012 revealed there has been more than 10 new trade concerns relevant to TBT, besides more than 60 trade concerns with on-going impacts yet to beeffectively tackled.

These concerns involve a diverse range of fields like textile garments, electrical and electronics, construction and steel products.

This demands firms pay heed to TBT, since new relevant regulations are continually presented.

It is worry that Vietnamese firms are paying little attention to TBT or SPS though in the past, TBT Vietnam Office came up with many meetings and symposia on TBT measures to appeal to firms.

How can firms search for information relevant to TBT?

Information about TBT is available in the websites of ministries, departments as well as TBT Vietnam Office. Through appraising TBT implications on their businesses, firms can resort to state support in dealing with importing countries. In doing so, we can expect falling TBT impacts on Vietnam’s exports.