VIỆN NGHIÊN CỨU QUẢN LÝ KINH TẾ TRUNG ƯƠNG

CỔNG THÔNG TIN KINH TẾ VIỆT NAM

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A review of Vietnam's negotiation process to join WTO

06/08/2010 - 126 Lượt xem

In June 1994, Vietnam officially submitted its application for membership to the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the precursor of the WTO, and was accepted as a GATT observer.

On January 4, 1995, after its establishment, the WTO officially accepted Vietnam's application for joining the organisation. Since July 1998, negotiations on Vietnam's accession to the WTO by the organisation's Working Party were held in the head quarters of the WTO in Geneva.

During the first four rounds of talks ( July 1998, December 1998, July 1999, and from November 27-December 1, 2000), Vietnam focused on answering questions raised by the Working Party's members regarding the clarification of trade and economic policies.

Vietnam was recognised to basically fulfill its policy clarification process at the end of the fourth round, paving the way for negotiations on market opening.

The fifth round was held on April 10, 2002 to review the situation of Vietnam's bilateral negotiations and the country's action plans to implement some WTO agreements.

The sixth round was held from May 12-22, 2003 in parallel with bilateral negotiations on Vietnam's accession to the WTO.

At the seventh round, held on December 10-11, 2003, the two parties discussed "elements of the draft of the report on Vietnam's accession to the WTO".

The eighth round was held on June 9-18, 2004.

At the 9th round of negotiations on December 15, 2004, the draft report of the Working Party on Vietnam's WTO accession was discussed for the first time. Discussions focused on the legal system, the adjustment of economic and commercial activities to be suitable with WTO requirements, subsidisation policies, animal and plant quarantine, food safety and hygiene, and protection of intellectual property.

The 10th round held on September 15, 2005 focused on the completion of the report on Vietnam's WTO accession. Vietnam committed to implementing a series of agreements within WTO framework right at the time of its admission into the WTO.

The 11th round of negotiations from September 12-18, 2005 focused on three major contents: progresses in bilateral negotiations on open goods and services market, the first revised version of the draft report of the Working Party, and appraisal of Vietnam's law building programme.

At the 12th round from March 20-28, 2006, the two sides focused their discussions on four major contents: the process of Vietnam's bilateral negotiations, the country's legal building programme, the draft report of the Working Party and its working plan in the future.

The 13th round held on July 19, 2006, focused on three major issues: reviewing the whole process of Vietnam's bilateral negotiations, adding Vietnam's bilateral commitments to the final commitment package, and progresses in the country's legal building. Vietnam was expected to complete the report of the Working Party and a plan for Vietnam's WTO accession in the coming time.

At the 14th round of multilateral negotiations, from October 9-26, 2006, WTO members discussed Vietnam's WTO accession.


Source: VNA

Report of Working group for VN WTO accession.doc

Commitments on services.doc