EVFTA ‘Opens the door’ to the Nordics: Vietnamese enterprises need to go further through rules of origin

After five years of the EVFTA taking effect, Vietnamese enterprises’ capacity to comply with rules of origin and manage Certificates of Origin (C/O) dossiers has improved, opening up opportunities to maintain market presence and integrate more deeply into Nordic supply chains.

A reporter from Cong Thuong (Industry and Trade) Newspaper spoke with Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy, Director General and Commercial Counsellor of the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden, concurrently in charge of the Nordic markets, on this issue.

How ready are Vietnamese enterprises for Nordic rules of origin?
– Madam, based on your direct work and support for Vietnamese enterprises accessing the Nordic market, how does the Trade Office assess enterprises’ readiness in complying with rules of origin and organizing dossiers for Certificates of Origin (C/O)? What concrete benefits has compliance brought so far for Vietnamese goods in penetrating and expanding market share in the Nordic region?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy:
After five years of the EVFTA’s implementation, it can be said that Vietnamese enterprises’ capacity to comply with rules of origin and prepare C/O dossiers when exporting to the Nordics has improved markedly, especially among regular exporters and sectors with relatively stable supply chains. Many enterprises have become more proactive in controlling raw material sources, retaining documentation, and engaging early with import partners on origin requirements.

Good compliance with rules of origin benefits Vietnamese goods in two ways. First is the direct tariff benefit, helping reduce costs and enhance competitiveness. Second—and increasingly important in the Nordic markets—is the market benefit: enterprises with clear and transparent origin dossiers are often rated higher by partners in terms of reliability and long-term cooperation potential.

For example, in textiles and footwear, many enterprises that have effectively leveraged the EVFTA have maintained stable orders with Swedish importers, even during periods of EU market slowdown. In the furniture sector, enterprises that effectively control legal timber sources and EVFTA origin tend to access larger distribution chains more easily than suppliers competing solely on price.

The biggest “bottleneck” in enterprises’ origin compliance chains
– Given the Nordic region’s strong emphasis on transparency, sustainability, and traceability, where does the Trade Office observe the biggest “bottleneck” for Vietnamese enterprises in the compliance chain—from raw material organization and meeting rules of origin to building and managing documentation systems?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy:
From the Nordic market perspective, the biggest challenge does not lie solely in the rules of origin or C/O procedures themselves, but in the lack of synchronization between raw material sourcing, origin rules, and documentation systems. Many enterprises may technically meet origin criteria, but have not yet built sufficiently robust management systems to consistently demonstrate compliance when partners request traceability or when post-clearance audits occur.

In practice, importers do not only ask whether a C/O is available; they often require enterprises to clearly explain the value chain: where raw materials come from, how they are managed, and whether they are segregated from non-EVFTA-compliant inputs. If documentation is prepared on a shipment-by-shipment basis and lacks a systemic approach, enterprises can easily face difficulties.

For instance, in processed food, many enterprises meet origin rules but lack linkage between C/O dossiers and internal traceability systems, leading to additional explanations being required. Meanwhile, enterprises that invested early in traceability systems enjoy clear advantages when working with Nordic retail chains.

EVFTA preferences: Advantages are sustainable only when tied to long-term strategies – Utilizing origin preferences under the EVFTA and other new-generation FTAs is expected to create clear competitive advantages for Vietnamese goods in the Nordic markets. How does the Trade Office assess the actual effectiveness of this utilization, particularly in terms of market retention, order expansion, and building long-term partnerships with Nordic counterparts?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy:
Utilizing EVFTA origin preferences has brought positive effects for Vietnamese goods in the Nordic markets, but these effects are most evident among enterprises that view the EVFTA as part of a long-term strategy rather than merely a tool for reducing tariffs on individual shipments.

In practice, enterprises that make effective use of preferential C/Os tend to maintain more stable market presence, face fewer order disruptions, and enjoy stronger positions in negotiations with partners. According to EU-wide statistics, Vietnam’s EVFTA utilization rate has increased steadily over the years, though significant room for improvement remains compared to the actual potential of many sectors.

In the Nordic markets, the advantage of the EVFTA lies not only in tariff rates, but also in helping Vietnamese enterprises be perceived as partners with strong compliance capabilities. This is particularly important as Nordic importers increasingly tighten sustainability, environmental, and social responsibility criteria when selecting suppliers.

Sectors with remaining potential and the Trade Office’s support role
– According to the Trade Office, which sectors or products of Vietnam still have substantial potential in the Nordic markets if enterprises effectively exploit C/O preferences and rules of origin? Going forward, what promotion and support priorities will the Trade Office focus on to help enterprises better leverage these advantages?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy:
In the Nordic markets, beyond traditional export items, there remains significant potential for Vietnamese products if enterprises effectively leverage origin preferences and establish systematic compliance. These include value-added processed foods, agricultural products, deeply processed seafood, furniture and interior products with a focus on design and sustainability, environmentally friendly textiles, and certain light industrial products with stable supply chains.

Nordic consumers care not only about price, but place strong emphasis on origin, environmental impact, and social responsibility. Vietnamese enterprises that can build origin dossiers integrated with traceability and sustainability frameworks often enjoy clear advantages when approaching importers and major distribution systems in the region.

In the coming period, the Vietnam Trade Office in the Nordic region will continue to prioritize substantive and focused support for enterprises. This includes, first and foremost, providing updated market information with in-depth analysis tailored to the specific requirements of each segment and product group. On that basis, the Trade Office will enhance selective matchmaking between Vietnamese enterprises and suitable Nordic partners, importers, and distribution systems to improve market entry effectiveness.

– Thank you very much!

Through information dissemination, advisory services, and business connectivity, the Trade Office helps Vietnamese enterprises better identify requirements related to origin, traceability, and sustainability standards—factors that are increasingly decisive in the Nordic markets—thereby proactively strengthening their internal capabilities. The objective is not merely to bring products into the market, but to support Vietnamese enterprises in gradually accessing and integrating more deeply and sustainably into Nordic supply chains.
Reported by Phuong Lan