Hanoi (VNA) – Members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) imported around 4.25 trillion USD worth of goods annually in 2025, but Vietnamese products accounted for only around 1% of their markets, highlighting the vast room for export growth, heard a seminar organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on September 28.
Speaking at the event, Nguyen Thi Trang, Trade Counsellor at the Vietnam Trade Office in Mexico, said Mexico imported around 664 billion USD worth of goods in 2025, while Vietnam’s exports to the market were only around 7 billion USD, equivalent to roughly 1%.
Ngo Chung Khanh, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Department of Foreign Market Development and Multilateral Trade, said Vietnamese goods also account for only around 1% of Canada and Mexico, the two markets where Vietnam has free trade agreements through the CPTPP.
Khanh noted that to sell products in these markets, businesses must first meet rules of origin to qualify for CPTPP tariff preferences.
They must also comply with technical standards, labour and environmental requirements, as well as import regulations in each market.
Trang cautioned that having access to a market and tariff preferences does not automatically translate into orders. Mexican importers also pay attention to product quality and specifications, certifications, production capacity, minimum order quantities, delivery times and the ability to maintain stable supply.
The ability to turn opportunities into actual orders still depends largely on the capacity of our businesses themselves, Trang said.
The Vietnam Trade Office in Mexico recently brought eight Mexican businesses to Vietnam to attend a series of Vietnam International Sourcing events in early September. Following the meetings, four businesses reached trade agreements with Vietnamese suppliers. However, one Vietnamese business lost an advantage at the very first contact with a partner because it had not prepared staff capable of communicating in English.
For businesses seeking to enter the Mexican market, Trang said they should start by examining their products, HS codes, rules of origin, CPTPP tariffs, technical standards and import requirements. They should then assess their competitiveness, identify the right customer segments, test market demand, seek buyers and continue following up after establishing connections.
Do Thi Thuy Huong, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Electronic Industries Association, said businesses could not apply a one-size-fits-all approach across the CPTPP. Instead, they need to prepare for technical standards, environmental requirements, traceability and delivery capabilities.
To support businesses, the MoIT is developing an FTA implementation management system built on three pillars. These include providing information through the Government’s FTA portal, assessing FTA implementation results in localities, and building an FTA utilisation ecosystem connecting management agencies, localities, associations, businesses, logistics and financial service providers, and other stakeholders across production and export chains./.
VNA
