The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam (TRAV) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade will convene the second annual Trade Defence Forum in Ho Chi Minh City on September 25, following a successful inaugural event last year.
The event arrives at a moment when Vietnam grapples with both the promise and the peril of its open economy. The forum’s ambition is to sharpen the acumen of Vietnamese companies, particularly those in the private sector, in wielding trade defence tools. Through a blend of updates on global trade policy trends, dissections of recent investigations, and case studies, the event seeks to arm businesses with the tools to fortify compliance and resilience against the growing tide of trade defence measures.
Discussions will zero in on risks facing Vietnamese exports, including heightened scrutiny over circumvention and origin fraud in major markets; as well as opportunities and challenges awaiting domestic firms in 2025.
The forum will propel Vietnamese companies deeper into global supply chains, aligning their trajectories with the imperatives of digital transformation, green production and sustainable growth. It will provide strategic guidance on market integration while stressing compliance with global trade rules. Organisers described the event as a platform for dialogue among regulators, businesses, industry associations, experts, and organisations to untangle obstacles and bolster support for private-sector enterprises.
According to the TRAV, its outcomes are expected to bolster Vietnam’s economic resilience against trade defence actions while elevating the private sector’s role in driving sustainable growth.
The backdrop to this gathering is a global trade environment marked by intensifying competition and a surge in protectionism. Nations worldwide are increasingly deploying trade defence measures to shield domestic industries, a trend that reverberates through Vietnam’s highly open economy, which is tethered to an array of free trade agreements. This creates a dual-edged reality of opportunity and challenge.
While Vietnamese exporters face a growing number of trade defence cases abroad, the country is also stepping up its own use of such measures to safeguard its domestic market. The private sector, seen as a backbone of economic growth and employment, must enhance its competitiveness and preparedness to overcome international trade barriers, TRAV noted./.
