The European Union and Vietnam announced the start of free-trade negotiations that would allow the E.U. access to Vietnam’s booming markets and provide Vietnam a chance to lure European manufacturers away from China, report John W. Miller and Patrick Barta for The Wall Street Journal. However, the E.U.-Vietnam trade talks may be hindered by protectionist sentiment and human-rights concerns in Europe.
Vietnam’s top exports are textiles, shoes, seafood and coffee, and a free-trade deal could give Vietnam the potential to grow beyond that.
Vietnam’s General Statistics Office expects economic growth to accelerate between 5.7% and 5.9% in the first quarter year-over-year. A free-trade deal could mean even more.
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- Market Vectors Vietnam (NYSEArca: VNM)
Max Chen contributed to this article.