Hanoi (VNA) – After five years of implementation, the Swiss-funded Trade Policy and Export Promotion (SwissTrade) Project has delivered impressive results, making a tangible contribution to export growth and further expanding trade ties between the two countries.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Swiss Embassy in Vietnam on December 16 co-organised a conference to review the project, providing an opportunity to comprehensively assess the five-year project and outline next steps for strengthening Vietnam – Switzerland cooperation.
Motivation for export growth
SwissTrade is an important technical cooperation programme designed to strengthen Vietnam’s trade capacity and support sustainable exports by local enterprises. Over its five-year journey (2021–2025), the project has produced notable outcomes across its three core components - improving the trade policy framework, enhancing public–private dialogue in making policy, and building capacity within the export promotion ecosystem.
Bui Huy Son, Director of the Project Management Unit under the MoIT, stressed that the project is not only a practical technical assistance programme but also a vivid symbol of the trustworthy partnership between the two countries.
Son, who is also Director of the MoIT's Department of Planning, Finance and Enterprise Management, said thanks to its innovative design and closely interlinked components, the project has helped the ministry develop and submit the appropriate information to the Prime Minister the Strategy on Import and Export of Goods to 2030. It has also provided a long-term trade policy framework based on data and international standards. He noted that a pilot public–private dialogue mechanism has created a more effective channel for engagement between the Government and the business community.
The project has also supported hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in improving competitiveness and joining global value chains through innovative export promotion initiatives, Son added.
These efforts have significantly contributed to lifting Vietnam’s export turnover from 371 billion USD in 2021 to an estimated 480 billion USD in 2025, reinforcing the role of trade as a key driver of economic growth, employment and sustainable poverty reduction, he said.
Aldo De Luca, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Swiss Embassy in Vietnam, highlighted the project’s achievements, saying that it had enhanced Vietnam’s export resilience and competitiveness amid increasing volatility in global trade.
He noted that SwissTrade had contributed to more transparent, evidence-based trade policymaking with stronger stakeholder participation, while also providing forums for Vietnamese businesses to prepare for new market opportunities.
Looking ahead to EFTA - Vietnam free trade agreement
Looking ahead, Son expressed his hope that the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), with Switzerland playing a central role, would be signed in 2026, helping to foster stronger trade and investment ties.
However, the global economic landscape remains highly volatile, with challenges stemming from geopolitics, climate change and the fourth Industrial Revolution. To achieve its growth targets, Vietnam needs to foster international economic integration and enhance national competitiveness in line with the Party’s strategic resolutions.
Notably, Resolution 68 on private economic development underscores the need to support Vietnamese enterprises to make deeper inroads into international markets under the “Go Global” approach, with a renewed mindset focusing on enhancing competitiveness, building the national brand, and promoting sustainable development.
These priority areas are also aligned with Switzerland’s cooperation strategy for Vietnam for 2026–2028, to support strengthening capacity and promoting sustainable trade, with a focus on innovation and helping Vietnamese enterprises meet sustainability requirements in export markets.
De Luca affirmed Switzerland will support Vietnam in sustainable economic development, a deeper partnership in the green economy, stronger competitiveness, and sustainable export growth./.
