Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang has urged Argentina, as coordinator of negotiations, to accelerate progress towards an early signing of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) between Vietnam and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) following the launch of talks in December 2025.
The official made the proposal during her recent online meeting with Argentina’s Secretary of International Economic Relations Fernando Brun, where they reviewed bilateral trade ties and discussed cooperation prospects for 2026.
Thang also reported progress from the eighth session of the Vietnam–Argentina Intergovernmental Committee on economic, trade, and science and technology cooperation, including the completion of the first round of negotiations on a double taxation avoidance agreement and ongoing discussions on agricultural market access and intellectual property.
To deepen trade and investment links, she suggested Argentina send business delegations to major trade events in Vietnam, notably the Vietnam International Sourcing expo slated for September 2026.
Brun, for his part, reaffirmed Vietnam’s status as a priority partner in Argentina’s Asia-Pacific strategy and revealed that Argentina is considering joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He also pledged close coordination with Vietnam to advance PTA negotiations with MERCOSUR.
Bilateral trade stood at 4.27 billion USD in 2025, with Vietnam’s exports surging 68.7% to 876.7 million USD, while imports from Argentina fell 5.3% to 3.39 billion USD. Argentina is currently Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner in Latin America.
Key Vietnamese exports include phones and components, electronics, footwear, machinery and textile materials, while imports mainly comprise corn, animal feed, cotton, soybeans, and animal and vegetable oils and fats./.
VNA
