The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) does not help Vietnam to have more new markets, but opens favorable opportunities, more "poetic" conditions for businesses to increase exports.

Currently, Vietnam has joined multilateral and bilateral FTAs ​​with most of the RCEP members. Particularly, China, although not signed a bilateral FTA but Vietnam is implementing the ASEAN - China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). Therefore, investment and exploitation of markets in RCEP is no longer new.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang - Director of the Center for WTO and Integration (Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry), so far Vietnam has signed many bilateral FTAs ​​with major economies in the RCEP. Thus, when the RCEP is signed, domestic enterprises will have more options to use the C / O form according to each FTA appropriately in order to get the highest tariff incentives in import and export activities.

With an economy in which supporting industries are still weak like Vietnam, RCEP will help to import cheaper goods, especially raw materials and inputs for production. Previously, a number of Vietnamese products made using raw materials from one of the five countries participating in RCEP (outside of ASEAN) were not eligible for incentives. But with RCEP, this problem will be solved. New in the RCEP and considered to be beneficial to many Vietnamese export sectors is the fully aggregated origin. Accordingly, any value created by a member of an RCEP country is considered the value at the place of final production.

Mr. Pham Thiet Hoa - General Director of Saigon Agricultural Corporation - said that the problem of origin and origin of goods as committed in the RCEP is quite favorable. Specifically, enterprises that buy materials within the bloc to produce exports will find it easier to meet the requirements of origin, compared to requirements from other FTAs ​​such as trans-Pacific Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement (CPTPP). If in the CPTPP, it is difficult for Vietnam to take advantage of tariff preferences for textile products because of the internal rules of origin, because most of Vietnam's raw material supply comes from China, joining RCEP will reduce the cost burden of importing raw materials. In addition, customs procedures will be agreed, facilitating trade. Vietnamese businesses also expect that some service markets will be more open, especially logistics, telecommunications, transparent business environment.

Vietnamese enterprises can expect RCEP to help further improve tariff preferences, and make intra-bloc rules of origin more harmonious and easy to meet. In addition, the customs process will be unified, facilitate trade or develop general rules to limit and control non-tariff barriers ...

According to Mr. Nguyen Lam Vien - Chairman of Vinamit Joint Stock Company, this is an opportunity for businesses from developed countries to invest in developing countries like Vietnam and Vietnamese consumers can use goods and services from foreign countries with cheaper prices.

"Only when the internal force of enterprises increases and there is support from the state in expanding investment channels, then the opportunity will be realized" - Mr. Vien shared.