Vietnam FTA implementation index assessment

Vietnam has released its 2025 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Implementation Index, a metric designed to evaluate how provinces and cities fulfill trade commitments and address regional bottlenecks in infrastructure, human resources, and legal procedures.

Hai Phong emerged as the top-performing locality, scoring 35.62 and earning the only ‘Very Good’ ranking among 34 evaluated regions. Hai Phong significantly outperformed the national average of 21.66, leading the country in legal compliance and access to FTA information. Other high-ranking localities included Tuyen Quang, Thanh Hoa, Vinh Long, Ca Mau, and Lai Chau.

The index, based on surveys of 4,066 companies across sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, and mining, aims to incorporate business perspectives into economic assessment. Officials noted that the index has improved in data quality and methodology to better reflect how businesses perceive the quality of FTA implementation. Leadership emphasized that international economic integration should act as a catalyst for institutional reform and increased national productivity.