Last week, Vietnam signed a free trade agreement with the European Union. When it takes effect in July the E.U. will remove 85 percent of its tariffs on Vietnamese goods with the remainder phased out over 7 years. Vietnam will remove 49 percent of its import duties on E.U. exports., with the rest phased out over 10 years. Nebraska Pork Producers Association Executive Director Al Juhnke says this signing will hopefully push U.S negotiators to complete a bilateral U.S Vietnam pact.
He says there’s a definite market for U.S. pork in Vietnam and the U.S. can use their Rice, Fruits and vegetables.
Juhnke visited Vietnam last winter on a trade mission led by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts. He says at that time, Vietnamese officials expressed great interest in American pork and that hasn’t changed.
Vietnam is part of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trade Pacific Partnership deal which the U.S. is not a part of.
