Vietnam agricultural exporters face stricter EU and UK standards

Vietnamese agricultural exporters are facing increasingly stringent technical barriers from the European Union and the United Kingdom. Beyond traditional food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, new requirements are expanding to include digital traceability, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

A critical upcoming challenge is the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which will apply to large and medium-sized enterprises starting December 30, 2026. This regulation impacts over 80 product lines, including key Vietnamese exports such as coffee, rubber, and wood products. To comply, businesses must provide precise data, including geographic coordinates of production areas, to prove goods are not linked to deforestation.

While free trade agreements like the EVFTA and UKVFTA offer tariff advantages, the increasing frequency of new WTO SPS notifications—exceeding 600 since the start of the year—requires Vietnamese enterprises to shift from simple compliance to proactive risk management and transparent supply chain governance.