The British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City is ramping up efforts to support more British retail brands—especially small and mid-sized businesses—in entering Vietnam’s growing market.
Speaking at a business briefing attended by 50 importers, distributors, and retailers, the consulate representative highlighted the opportunities created by the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). With these trade deals in place, up to 99% of UK exports to Vietnam now enjoy zero tariffs, making British products in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), food and beverages, health and wellness, and retail sectors more competitive and accessible to Vietnamese consumers.
Beyond tariff reductions, the CPTPP brings additional perks such as faster clearance times—standard shipments are released within 48 hours, while express shipments clear within just six hours. The agreement also simplifies registration for UK cosmetics, removing the need for a Certificate of Free Sale, and allows UK exporters to self-certify the origin of goods, cutting costs and administrative burdens.
British brands are already making waves in Vietnam, with household names like Jo Malone, Lush, The Body Shop, Mothercare, and Unilever firmly established in the market. The UK government is actively working to expand this presence by helping more brands enter the market through trade policies and export support.
The UKFTA, implemented in 2019, has significantly boosted trade between the two nations, particularly in the agricultural and food and drink sectors. A recent report by Edelman Public & Government Affairs (EGA), commissioned by the British Embassy Hanoi, revealed that UK food and drink exports to Vietnam surged by 97% from 2020 to 2023, reaching USD 154 million.
(Source: The Investor)
