The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) offers many opportunities to Vietnamese workers and just as many challenges.
The country’s labor force must find ways to improve its quality in order to produce products that adhere to stricter standards in European markets, said policymakers and labor experts at a conference in Hanoi on September 17.
President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc said Vietnam’s labor force quality still left much to be desired. A recent VCCI survey showed 85 percent of businesses in the country were facing difficulties finding skilled workers and managers. A lack of skilled workers has discouraged high-tech companies to make heavy investments in Vietnam.
In addition, companies will have to implement a number of changes to their current labor policies to meet with the EVFTA’s labor standards, such as making commitments to ensure workers’ rights to collective bargaining, eliminate forced and child labor as well as workplace discrimination.
The EVFTA is an opportunity for the Vietnamese labor force to grow but they must be equipped with the right skills to take advantage of such opportunities, said Simon Matthews, Country Manager of Vietnam, Thailand and the Middle East under ManpowerGroup, a leading staffing firm based in the US.
The trade deal was expected to create between 18,000 to 19,000 jobs each year for the next ten years, with the majority of jobs in textile, footwear and furniture manufacturing as tariffs were set to be lifted for Vietnamese products exported to the EU market.
"Labour force quality remains an obstacle for Vietnam to overcome. European firms require from employees both technical and language skills and they are hoping to see such demands addressed by the Government," said Nguyen Hai Minh, Vice Chairman of EuroCham Vietnam.
Minh said most European firms rely on technologies and therefore place great emphasis on employing skilled workers instead of cheap labor.
Matthews said developing a skilled labor force is a top priority for Vietnam in the country's effort to integrate into the global economy. He urged firms to start building human resource strategies to train and retain skilled workers.
Loc said businesses must work together with universities and vocational training schools. He called for shortened and more practical courses as well as increased involvement of the business sector in education and vocational training.
Rather than expanding logistics infrastructure indiscriminately, the MoIT plans to establish a tiered network comprising national, regional and local logistics centres, specialised logistics hubs and cargo consolidation points.
Vietnam has entered the world's top 30 most competitive economies for the first time, ranking 27th out of 70 economies in the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
The new circular will help credit institutions have more room to provide capital to businesses and investment projects to support high economic growth in the next few years, while increasing flexibility in the SBV’s monetary policy management.
The study found that 85% of Vietnamese enterprises reported positive business sentiment, a sharp increase from 48% in 2025, when business confidence was weighed down by uncertainties surrounding US tariff policies and related trade developments.
Resolution 10-NQ/TW marks a significant reset of Vietnam’s foreign investment strategy, introducing broad reforms to create a more unified and effective framework for attracting foreign capital.
Vinh Long farmers are scaling up specialised growing zones and tightening production standards, aiming to lock in sustainable growth for pomelo cultivation and more prosperity across the Mekong Delta province.
According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Thinh, the province aims to maintain stable and sustainable growth, improve the competitiveness of both the economy and local businesses, and make better use of free trade agreements (FTAs) to expand and diversify export markets.
As offenders adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics, customs authorities are tightening controls at border gates, stepping up the use of technologies and refining enforcement measures to intercept illicit goods at the import and transit stages.
As Vietnam pursues rapid and sustainable economic growth, improving growth quality, advancing the green transition, promoting the circular economy, and adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards are becoming increasingly urgent.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) highlighted the city's dominance in green-certified building floor space in Vietnam, reflecting the rapid expansion of the green building market with 780 completed green buildings encompassing over 18.69 million sq.m by 2025, predominantly certified by EDGE and LEED.
The United Kingdom officially announced two new climate cooperation initiatives to support Vietnam in its energy transition and green growth journey. These programs focus on offshore wind power development and the creation of a sustainable green financial ecosystem.
The GTTCI expert noted that alongside logistics and integrated warehousing, e-commerce is expected to be a particularly high-growth sector in the coming years. He described it as a multi-billion-dollar market with significant untapped opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and India.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam’s exports reached 215.66 billion USD in the first five months of 2026, up 19.5% year-on-year. Twenty-six export items generated more than 1 billion USD in revenue each, including seven with turnover exceeding 10 billion USD.
By combining centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary design, Hanoi’s traditional craft villages are finding new ways to keep their cultural heritage relevant and competitive in modern life.
A significant number of Swedish enterprises are set to expand their operations in Vietnam, reflecting a deep-seated confidence in the country’s long-term economic prospects.
Since the start of the summer harvest season, China's two major border gates with Vietnam, Youyi Guan in Pingxiang and Beilun 2 Bridge in Dongxing, have entered their peak period for handling imports of fresh agricultural and seafood products from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
UOB noted that while Vietnam has maintained relatively strong growth momentum, recent economic indicators suggest a mixed short-term outlook, with positive developments tempered by mounting challenges. In particular, higher energy costs are beginning to weigh on manufacturing activity and macroeconomic stability.
According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), the logistics sector will require around 2.2 million workers by 2030, including 1.6 million employees for logistics service providers and nearly 600,000 personnel supporting logistics operations in manufacturing and trading enterprises.
To date, over 100 fisheries unions, solidarity groups and teams protecting national sovereignty and security at sea in Da Nang have signed commitments not to engage in IUU fishing.
The development strategy for VIFC-HCMC envisions a comprehensive financial ecosystem encompassing green finance, carbon credits, financial technology (fintech), blockchain technology, digital assets, digital banking and other innovative business models. These highly internationalised sectors involve complex cross-border transactions and sophisticated legal structures.