The European Union (EU) is one of Vietnam's most important and stable trading partners, the second largest export market after the United States. With a population of over 500 million people, the EU's GDP reaches 16,452.07 billion euros, (the UK's GDP alone reaches 2,523.3 billion euros). In 2019, the total import and export turnover of EU goods reached 8,254 billion euros, of which the export turnover was 5.193 billion euros, the total import turnover of EU goods reached 3.061 billion euros. Particularly, the EU's export turnover of agricultural products and food reached 182 billion euros and imports reached 143 billion euros (accounting for 8% of total exports and 6% of total imports of EU goods). 

According to Eurostat, in 2020, Vietnam's exports to the EU market reached 34.053 billion euros, down 1.7% compared to 2019. Meanwhile, Vietnam's imports from the EU market reached 8.3 billion euros. . However, according to Eurostat, reported in the first 4 months of 2021, Vietnam's exports to the EU market reached 12.1 billion euros, up 9%, while imports from the EU market reached 3.4 billion , up 30.7% over the same period in 2020.

Although the COVID-19 epidemic continues to affect the economy and people's lives, the first 4 months of 2021 show that Vietnam's import and export with the EU has increased by 13.1%.

The results of the EVFTA agreement have helped many types of goods of the two sides to be exempted from tax according to the roadmap. Besides, it is the continuous efforts of the Trade Offices in Europe, especially the great contribution of the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium and the campaign and connection to advocate beneficial policies for businesses. exporting Vietnam and trying to bring agricultural products to the European market through distributors.

The year 2021 is considered an important milestone when fresh fruits such as litchi and longan are directly exported to Western European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK by Vietnamese companies after being supported. connect, introduce with import companies. The distribution of fresh lychees is not only in the chain of stores/supermarkets in Asia but has officially penetrated into the food supermarket chains in Europe.

Currently, the EU agricultural product import market has begun to prosper due to the control of the COVID-19 epidemic, and the Governments of EU member countries are promoting the expansion of vaccination, application of vaccine passport regulations, and easing of regulations. regulations on travel, partial opening of catering and tourism services, so the demand for food consumption increased compared to the previous period. Accordingly, this is also a favorable time to promote the export of Vietnamese agricultural products to this market.

However, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium, in order to promote export activities more strongly, in the country, localities need to pay more attention to calling for export businesses to closely link with households. households and cooperatives producing in the direction of Global GAP certification, have specific support measures for farmers, cooperatives and enterprises registering to participate in production in the direction of certification, fees for certification of growing areas; Support export enterprises when transporting and circulating to ensure smooth circulation, speeding up the stages of preliminary processing, fumigation, quarantine, support inspection fees before exporting; Sampling and sending samples to the EU market for testing according to the requirements of the EU market and importers.

To help Vietnamese goods better access the EU market, the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium will implement a number of plans, specifically:

Coordinate with the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to make a list of enterprises participating in the production, processing and export of prestigious fruits and fruit products across the country. to connect with import enterprises; Continue to search for enterprises that import fruit and fruit products in the EU and connect with exporters in Vietnam.

In addition, the Trade Office will promote and connect LTP Company in the Netherlands with Tien Giang 3 Bamboo Company to import about 300-500 containers of coconut and coconut products from Vietnam to the Netherlands for distribution to the Netherlands. EU market.

Connecting Vinamit Group with MCE Company in the Netherlands, the two sides have agreed to sign a cooperation partnership to import processed jackfruit, fruit and vegetable products to the EU. Currently, Vinammit has completed sending samples to the Netherlands, and at the same time, MCE company has worked with the authorities in the Netherlands to complete the inspection of the criteria and send to supermarkets to offer products. .

The deal is continuing to urge MCE Company to work with businesses in Soc Trang and Tien Giang provinces to perform contracts to forward containers of dragon fruit and passion fruit to the Dutch market for distribution at the supermarket chain. market; Promote exchanges with Natural Company in Belgium to import organic agricultural products to distribute to a network of 600 specialized organic stores in Belgium, Luxembourg and the northern regions of France.

In the coming time, the Trade Office will also organize trade promotion on a digital technology platform for agricultural products. It is expected to propose cooperation to turn Belgium into a transit point in the e-commerce chain of Vietnam; Organize Vietnamese food week in Belgium in September; Talks with local fruit import and export enterprises to promote the export of fruits to the EU.