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The Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center organized the event in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Agency for Foreign Trade to update businesses on commitments under the pact that took effect February 3, 2026. Le Anh Hoang, deputy director of the center, told participants the UAE serves as a strategic hub for trade, logistics and transshipment spanning the Gulf Cooperation Council, Middle East and Africa. Vietnam’s exports to the UAE have grown steadily, reaching 5.91 billion USD in 2025 with strong performances in iron and steel, cashew nuts, vehicles and fruit and vegetables, according to General Department of Vietnam Customs data.
The agreement commits the UAE to immediate tariff elimination on 74.2 percent of tariff lines, increasing to 89.2 percent after five years and eventually covering 99 percent of Vietnamese-origin goods subject to rules and schedules, Truong Xuan Trung, head of the Vietnam Trade Office in the UAE, informed the seminar. Potential export categories include agricultural products, processed foods, seafood, textiles, garments, footwear, wood items, furniture and consumer goods. The UAE imports 85 to 90 percent of its food requirements because of desert conditions and relies on a population that is 88.5 percent foreign residents, creating demand for diverse items, Pham Binh An, former deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, explained at the gathering.
Seminar speakers emphasized that tariff preferences alone do not secure market entry, as businesses must comply with technical, sanitary, phytosanitary and food-safety standards. For food products, Halal certification recognized by UAE authorities through the National Halal Mark is required across the entire supply chain. Companies were advised to treat the UAE as an initial test market to gauge demand, refine product quality and forge importer relationships before scaling to neighboring countries.
Bilateral trade between Vietnam and the UAE totaled approximately 6.55 billion USD in 2025, with Vietnamese exports accounting for more than 5.9 billion USD, customs figures show. In the first half of 2026, two-way trade edged up 0.2 percent year-on-year to 3.157 billion USD even as Vietnamese shipments declined 16.4 percent, indicating remaining potential that the CEPA aims to unlock. An noted the pact also establishes a framework that could draw UAE investment into Vietnamese infrastructure, clean energy and digital projects.
Truong recommended Vietnamese firms first strengthen their foothold in the UAE with competitive offerings before expanding into GCC states and onward to African destinations using tailored regional strategies. The seminar underscored the need for accurate HS code classification, origin rule verification and preparation of certificates of origin to fully utilize the agreement’s benefits, including a 20 percent de minimis allowance for non-originating materials. Organizers distributed guidance on these procedures to help participants navigate the requirements effectively.
