Exporter Guide 2015 Vietnam

      This report serves as a practical guide for U.S. exporters wishing to initiate or increase exports of U.S. consumer-oriented agricultural products (fresh or processed animal & plant products; beverages; other snack foods) to Vietnam. It provides key updates on Vietnam’s policies and regulations that may affect 
exporters’ choices about how to approach this dynamic market. Although Vietnam’s maze of regulations has occasionally resulted in troublesome trade barriers, the country is making progress in reducing import tariffs per its WTO obligations and adopting more business-friendly practices. 

       A number of factors have spurred a tremendous increase in Vietnam’s food imports over the last five years; these include steady population growth, strong economic growth, greater disposable income, and expansion in the retail, food service, and food processing sectors. Vietnam’s food and beverage import 
sector was relatively insulated from the global economic recession of 2008-09, and total imports continued to climb in 2010-2014 

       In particular, U.S. exports of consumer-oriented agricultural products to Vietnam have grown at an astonishing rate in recent years. From 2004 to 2010, the year-end figure increased over 1,000 percent. In 2014, the United States exported a record $879 million in consumer-oriented agricultural products to 
Vietnam, putting  the country to 14th on the list of U.S. export markets for this sector. Overall, prospects for continued growth in Vietnam’s food import market remain strong.