A farmer harvests coffee at a farm in Gia Lai Province. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — To promote trade with the United Kingdom - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), the Gia Lai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on October 18 held a conference to promote awareness of the regulations and commitments under the agreement's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.

Đoàn Ngọc Có, deputy director of the Gia Lai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the export value of agricultural products accounts for about 70-80 per cent of the province's total export turnover.

Key agricultural export items in the province include coffee, rubber, cassava slices, black pepper, and fruits, which have reached nearly 40 countries. Some products have met the quality requirements for demanding markets such as the US, Japan and EU member countries.

However, in order to develop agriculture in a sustainable manner, enhance added value, and meet food safety regulations for export to major markets including the UK, he proposed improving institutional mechanisms, policies and legal frameworks.

It is necessary to promote restructuring of the agricultural sector towards increasing value-added and sustainable development amid changing climate conditions.

The integration of digital technology, automation, and biotechnology into agricultural production should be prioritised.

Efforts should be focused on removing bottlenecks and providing incentives for large-scale specialised cultivation areas, he added.

During the event, Lê Thanh Hòa, director of Vietnam SPS Office, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the Vietnam SPS Office serves as the official information exchange channel between Vietnam and WTO members on SPS issues.

The objective of the SPS Agreement is to protect the health of humans, animals and plants in each member country and avoid creating unnecessary barriers to trade among member nations.

The UKVFTA, which officially came into effect on May 1, 2021, was negotiated based on the principles inherited from the FTA between Việt Nam and the European Union (EVFTA), with necessary adjustments to ensure compatibility with the bilateral trade framework between Việt Nam and the UK.

Since the beginning of the year, the Vietnam SPS Office has updated a total of 868 notifications, including drafts and effective regulations on SPS from WTO members that may impact the country's agricultural, forestry and aquatic product exports.

The total bilateral trade turnover between Việt Nam and the UK reached US$4.62 billion, with Việt Nam's exports to the UK amounting to nearly $4.1 billion. Currently, over 85 per cent of tariffs on Vietnamese goods exported to the UK have been eliminated. It is expected that the figure will increase to 99.7 per cent by 2027.

As the UK recently became the 12th member of the CPTPP Agreement, it is predicted that Việt Nam's high potential products such as fragrant rice, tuna, honey, and especially agricultural products and fruits, will experience significant growth in the UK market due to tariff preferences.

Therefore, the full implementation of the SPS Agreement will play crucial role in raising exports to the UK market, said Hòa. — VNS