The first containers are shipped from France to Việt Nam via the new waterway route linking an inland port in the French department of Yonne with Cái Mép seaport in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS — Nearly 600 tonnes of malt from France’s central Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region will be shipped weekly to Việt Nam via a new waterway route linking an inland port in the French department of Yonne with Cái Mép seaport in HCM City.
The route will create favourable conditions for trade ties between Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region and Việt Nam, which is expected to thrive thanks to the European Union-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) signed on June 30.
From September, malt planted in Yonne will be transported to Việt Nam to produce beer. The two sides recently inked a contract on shipping the first batch of 5,000 tonnes of malt to Việt Nam.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyễn Thiệp stressed that the shipping route allows businesses to transport goods at a high speed to the two seaports of Le Havre in France and Cái Mép in Việt Nam.
The route is expected to lift trade between the two countries by 20 per cent when the EVFTA takes effect, he added.
France’s malt exports to Việt Nam will increase to 250,000 tonnes next year, the diplomat noted, adding that Việt Nam’s staples will also be shipped to France via this route if they meet European standards. — VNS