USAID and Việt Nam's Ministry of Industry and Trade signed MoU on Việt Nam Digital Trade on Friday in Hà Nội. — Photo from the US Embassy in Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI — The United States Mission to Việt Nam and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on Friday launched a US$3.25 million activity, Việt Nam Digital Trade, supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), to facilitate digital trade.

The activity comes as part of the new US-Việt Nam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced during US President Joseph Biden’s visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of the Party leader Nguyễn Phú Trọng last month.

“During his recent visit, President Biden emphasised the United States’ commitment to support Việt Nam to compete in a digital global economy,” said USAID/Việt Nam Mission Director Aler Grubbs. “We are pleased to sign an MoU with MoIT. This new digital trade activity led by USAID and MoIT is our first to be launched under our two countries’ newly upgraded partnership and will go a long way toward unleashing the potential of digital trade to form a key driver of the country’s continued growth.”

USAID’s three-year activity, called Việt Nam Digital Trade, supports MoIT’s implementation of policy frameworks that facilitate digital trade, in consultation with the private sector. Regulations that are responsive to private sector needs remove trade bottlenecks and increase regulatory transparency, helping to shape an e-commerce sector where enterprises of all sizes can benefit.

In addition, the activity encourages small and medium enterprise participation in digital trade by introducing new business models and other best practices, such as traceability of goods, as well as facilitating cross-border connections between enterprises via MOIT’s digital trade promotion platform, called DECOBIZ.

The project supports business associations such as the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Việt Nam E-commerce Association to promote digital trade across the country. The project works through MOIT and business associations to target female-owned enterprises and minority communities in support of inclusive economic growth.

USAID’s Việt Nam Digital Trade activity advances the US Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, under which Việt Nam and the US partner to harness innovation and pursue high-standard rules of the road in the digital economy to drive continued growth. This activity builds on the US' successful partnership with Việt Nam over the past two decades, facilitating increased trade and improving the business enabling environment. — VNS