At the end of July the number of warnings regarding product standards on Vietnamese imports into the bloc had reached 72 for the year, nearly double the 40 warnings issued over the same period last year, according to the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. These were mostly due to chemical residues on Vietnamese fresh produce.
This jump is in line with increased trade between the EU and Vietnam on the back of the European Union Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, commonly known as the EVFTA. Bu thought this agreement may have seen trade soar between the two partners it has also been somewhat challenging for Vietnam to implement. This is not just because of strict phytosanitary measures on produce entering the EU but a number of other stipulations in the agreement, particularly around workers rights.
For more information see: How is the EVFTA Working Out for Vietnam?