Green Trade Barriers and Sustainable Market Access: Assessing Vietnamese Agricultural Export Performance to the European Union in the European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) Era

Phan Thi Thanh Nga és Vo Thi Thien An és Chu Thi Nga (2026) Green Trade Barriers and Sustainable Market Access: Assessing Vietnamese Agricultural Export Performance to the European Union in the European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) Era. In: Clocks Can Be Stopped, Tipping Points Cannot. Budapesti Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem, Budapest, Magyarország, pp. 1-16. ISBN 978-615-6886-34-7

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Abstract

The European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has opened opportunities for Vietnam’s agricultural exports to the European Union market. However, these advantages are significantly constrained by environmental protection requirements and sustainability regulations. This study aims to examine the impact of green trade barriers on Vietnam’s agricultural exports by applying descriptive analysis and the gravity model for panel data. The gravity model is applied to panel data on Vietnam's agricultural exports to five major European Union markets (Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Italy) over 2015 - 2024. Findings reveal that European Union green trade barriers do not impose restrictions on Vietnamese agricultural exports. The influence of green barriers also weakens in the post-European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement period, suggesting that Vietnamese exporters have adapted to the changes and taken full advantage of tariff elimination under the European Union - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Adapting to regulations requires close coordination among regulatory agencies, stronger government support for capacity building programs, and continuous self-improvement efforts from agricultural businesses to comply with evolving European Union sustainability standards and certification requirements. When these barriers are effectively addressed, Vietnam will fully realise its potential in green exports, promote sustainable agricultural practices, improve the livelihoods of rural smallholder farmers, and contribute to broader environmental protection goals. The findings are valuable to Vietnamese exporters, policymakers, and researchers studying trade-environment linkages in developing economies.