Question:
What are the main commitments regarding the elimination of import duties by the EU in the EVFTA Agreement? Assess the level of commitment by the EU compared to countries participating in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Answer:
| EVFTA Agreement | CPTPP Agreement |
| Immediately after the agreement comes into effect, the EU commits to eliminating import duties on about 85.6% of tariff lines, equivalent to 70.3% of Vietnam’s exports to the EU. After 07 years from the agreement’s entry into force, the EU will eliminate import duties on 99.2% of tariff lines, equivalent to 99.7% of Vietnam’s export value. For the remaining few items (approximately 0.3% of export value), the EU commits to providing Vietnam with tariff rate quotas (TRQ) with a 0% duty rate within the quota. Therefore, it can be said that nearly 100% of Vietnam’s exports to the EU will have import duties eliminated within a short timeframe (07 years). | CPTPP member countries commit to completely eliminate import duties on goods originating from Vietnam, ranging from 97% to 100% of tariff lines, depending on each country’s commitments and timelines, with a maximum of 17 years (for Peru). |
