With 18 signed FTAs, of which 17 have come into effect, Vietnam has the opportunity to access more than 60 national and regional markets. This is considered the “golden door” for the integration process. In Hue , many enterprises from the textile, wood, and automobile industries have taken advantage of tariff incentives to expand their markets and increase export turnover.

Chan May Port Customs officers guide businesses to complete customs declaration procedures

Affirming capacity from large orders

At Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone, Billion Max Vietnam Export Processing Company Limited, an FDI enterprise producing children's toys with nearly 3,500 employees, is one of the pioneers exploiting the advantages of FTAs ​​to expand the market.

In the first 8 months of 2025, enterprises made more than 3,400 export declarations, of which 1,083 declarations applied for Certificates of Origin (C/O) to enjoy tax incentives, accounting for about 32%. Of which, C/O form EUR.1, under the Vietnam - European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) accounted for the largest proportion with 593 certificates; the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with 235 certificates and the ASEAN - Australia - New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) with 94 certificates. This shows that enterprises have made thorough preparations to penetrate many different markets, from Europe to the Asia - Pacific region.

Ms. Xu Jia Ji, System Manager of Billion Max Vietnam Export Processing Co., Ltd., said: Taking advantage of the FTA helps the company save significantly on tax costs, creating resources for reinvestment in production, while maintaining stable jobs for thousands of workers. "When enjoying a preferential tax rate of 0 - 3%, Billion Max's products are much more competitive in price, opening up opportunities to penetrate deeper into the global supply chain," Ms. Xu Jia Ji shared.

Thanks to this proactive approach, Billion Max's export turnover increased by 20% compared to the same period in 2024, maintaining a stable production pace despite volatile world markets.

At Phu Bai Industrial Park, Vinatex Phu Hung Joint Stock Company - a unit under the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group is also a typical example in taking advantage of FTA incentives. With a capacity of 1,000 tons of yarn per month, more than 60% of the company's output is exported to China, the Philippines and ASEAN countries. Taking advantage of the Free Trade Agreements (EVFTA), the Vietnam - Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA), the ASEAN - Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP), the ASEAN - China Free Trade Area Agreement (ACFTA) ... the company's yarn prices have a clear competitive advantage when exporting to China, Korea, Japan and European countries. Even in the midst of many fluctuations in the world trade market, Vinatex Phu Hung still maintains stable production.

Ms. Nguyen Thi To Trang, General Director of Vinatex Phu Hung Joint Stock Company, shared: “When the US announced unusual tax measures, many businesses were affected and orders were disrupted, but Vinatex Phu Hung Joint Stock Company still maintained production, maintained orders and expanded to more markets in the FTA bloc”. Production and business results in the first 9 months of the year grew positively, far exceeding the set plan, reflecting the transition from “passive adaptation” to “proactive integration” of Hue textile and garment enterprises in the new context.

In the wood processing sector, Shaiyo AA Vietnam Co., Ltd. takes advantage of abundant forest resources to effectively utilize FTAs. In the first 8 months of 2025, the company exported about 150,000 tons of wood chips, reaching a turnover of 21 million USD, of which Japan accounted for more than 80% of the total turnover.

According to Mr. Dang Van Vy, Head of Import and Export of Shaiyo AA Vietnam Co., Ltd., thanks to effectively utilizing the CPTPP Agreement, all of Shaiyo AA's export shipments to Japan enjoy a 0% tax rate instead of 2%. The tax reduction helps the company save a lot of costs, thereby reinvesting in machinery, upgrading infrastructure, improving the lives of all workers and increasing the purchase price of raw wood from the people. The incentives from the CPTPP Trade Agreement not only help businesses expand their markets but also contribute to creating jobs, increasing income and promoting a sustainable forest economy.

Thuy An Customs forces coordinate to inspect and supervise export goods.

Initial advantages thanks to FTA

Unlike the above enterprises, Kim Long Motor Hue Joint Stock Company is a new company but has quickly grasped the opportunities from trade agreements. The company has exported a sample car to South Korea for a value of 50,000 USD and signed a long-term contract to supply about 200 cars per year. These products enjoy preferential tariffs thanks to the FTA, helping customers reduce import costs, increase competitiveness and open up long-term prospects for the company.

On the import side, enterprises mainly import auto parts from China and South Korea. By taking advantage of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area Agreement (ACFTA) and the ASEAN-Korea Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (AKFTA), many lines of components have seen a sharp reduction in tax from 10% to only 3-5%, thereby saving production costs, reducing product prices and increasing output.

Mr. Bui Nhat Linh, Head of Customs Declaration Department, Kim Long Motor Hue Joint Stock Company said: With the active support of the Department of Industry and Trade in issuing electronic C/O and the guidance and coordination of Chan May Port Customs in customs clearance, export procedures are now carried out quickly, within just one day, creating conditions for businesses to expand to the ASEAN market and increase the localization rate of components, especially engines - high-value components.

However, there are still many challenges. Some components imported from China are not on the preferential list and are subject to high taxes. The localization rate of products is still low, and businesses depend heavily on imported components. In the long term, increasing the localization rate to meet the rules of origin is still a difficult problem that businesses need to solve.

Workers of Hue Textile and Garment Joint Stock Company work on the production line of export goods.

Market expansion opportunities

From the stories of enterprises, it can be seen that the FTA has been opening a big door for Hue goods to go further in the international market. According to the Department of Industry and Trade, in the first 9 months of 2025, the city's export turnover reached more than 1.13 billion USD, an increase of 25.57% over the same period. Of which, exports to countries that have signed FTAs ​​with Vietnam reached about 784.45 million USD, accounting for 67.42% of the total turnover. In particular, goods using C/O to enjoy tariff incentives are estimated at 499.4 million USD, equivalent to 63.66%.

Mr. Phan Hung Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, informed that this is a positive number, reflecting the initiative of the Hue business community in exploiting opportunities from trade agreements. Although the first 9 months of the year still had many fluctuations in tariffs and trade policies of countries, maintaining a high export growth rate shows that businesses have proactively adapted, made good use of incentives from agreements, turning challenges into opportunities to reach out to the global market.

From an expert perspective, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary General, Head of the Legal Department of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that FTAs ​​are not only a tax reduction tool but also a strategic solution for businesses to diversify their markets and reduce their dependence on certain markets that are at risk of reciprocal taxes. Mr. Tuan analyzed: “With the characteristics of mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, vulnerable to global fluctuations, Hue needs to take full advantage of incentives from FTAs ​​to not only expand its market but also improve its position in the global value chain. This is a vital path for businesses in the context of increasingly complex international trade.”

From the practical operations of the above enterprises, it can be affirmed that the FTA has brought clear advantages, helping Hue enterprises to step more strongly on the journey of global trade integration. Initial success is reflected in the increase in export turnover, market expansion, improvement of workers' lives and affirmation of Hue's goods brand on the international trade map. However, for the FTA to truly become a "golden passport", efforts are still needed to overcome barriers from administrative procedures, rules of origin to the internal capacity of enterprises.

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Article and photos: HAI THUAN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/bai-1-co-hoi-tu-fta-doanh-nghiep-hue-dan-buoc-ra-thi-truong-toan-cau-159123.html