Illustrative photo (Photo: NDO)

This is an important step towards concretising Viet Nam’s commitments on tariff reductions, in line with international regulations, thereby creating new opportunities for bilateral trade cooperation, which has been growing strongly.

Under the commitment roadmap, Viet Nam’s level of tariff liberalisation under CEPA reaches 90.3 per cent, excluding 264 tariff lines under the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) component set.

The CEPA tariff schedule is built on Viet Nam’s import–export nomenclature under the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) 2022, and is expected to be applied until the end of 2027, after which it will switch to the AHTN 2028 version.

Trade figures show that Viet Nam–UAE economic relations are developing positively. In 2023, bilateral trade reached 4.7 billion USD, rising to 6.5 billion USD in 2024. Viet Nam continued to enjoy a trade surplus, with the 2024 surplus up 40.1 per cent compared with 2023. Imports from the UAE alone amounted to 850.7 million USD, an increase of 25.5 per cent.

Once the agreement officially enters into force, bilateral trade is expected to flourish further, not only expanding Viet Nam’s export opportunities to the Middle East market but also boosting import supplies to serve domestic production.

The draft decree has been prepared in accordance with domestic law and international commitments. It is consistent with the Law on Export and Import Duties (Law No. 107/2016/QH13) and guiding decrees, while complying with the ASEAN Customs Agreement and the 2022 Harmonised System (HS) of the World Customs Organisation.

It is also aligned with the Law on Customs (Law No. 54/2014/QH13) and related legal documents, including Decree No. 167/2025/ND-CP on customs procedures, inspection and supervision. Consistency is further ensured in relation to the Law on the Organisation of the Government 2025, the Law on the Organisation of Local Government 2025, the Law on Tax Administration 2019, and the Law on Treaties 2016.

The Ministry of Finance affirmed that the issuance of the CEPA Tariff Schedule 2025–2027 both demonstrates Viet Nam’s determination to integrate and establishes a transparent, stable legal framework for the business community. It also contributes to enhancing Viet Nam’s position in global supply chains while elevating trade and investment relations with the UAE to a new height.