Expect to see more Vietnamese buying Italian machinery and more Austrians wearing sneakers from Vietnam, as the southeast Asian country moves closer to finalizing a trade deal with the European Union. With negotiations ended early this month, the prospective trade pact offers strategic potential on both sides. For Vietnam, it would diversify ties beyond those with regional powers, China and the United States. For Europe, it would stake a bigger claim in Asia at a time when more attention has centered on the U.S.-driven Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Read Full Article: Link

Topics: ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN) LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDCS) REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS (RTAS)

Regions: VIETNAM

Authors: VOICE OF AMERICA