FTA promotes Vietnam-Chile agricultural trade
The Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA), entering into effect early this year, will usher in a prosperous future for agro-forestry and husbandry exchanges between the two countries.
The assessment was recently made by the Chilean Bureau for Agricultural Studies and Policies under the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, noting the above commodity categories constitute 10.7% of bilateral trade turnover.
Agro-forestry and husbandry trade turnover totalled US$60.2 million in 2012. Chile earned US$48.4 million from exports to Vietnam and purchased US$11.8 million in imports—annual improvements of 23.8% and 34.3% respectively.
In the first nine months of 2013, Chile’s agricultural exports were valued at US$37 million, up 3.2%. It imported US$17.3 million worth of comparable Vietnamese products, up 166%. Chile’s key export commodities included forestry products (62.2% of total export turnover) fresh grapes, and wine.
The FTA specifies 72% of Chilean exports to Vietnam will enjoy zero tariffs and the ratio will increase to 83% within the first 11 years. Meanwhile, 83% of Vietnamese exports to Chile will be granted import tax exemptions immediately.
The bureau said the FTA will be most beneficial to Vietnam’s fresh fruit, pork, and beef product exports.
