IiA Navigator This database of IAs – the IIA browser – is managed by UNCTAD`s IIA Section. You can browse the IIAs concluded by a particular country or group of countries, view the recently concluded ais or use the extended contract search for demanding research tailored to your needs. Please cite as: UNCTAD, International Investment Agreements Navigator, available under investmentpolicy.unctad.org/international-investment-agreements/ Signing the agreement is a step VKFTA implement specific integration strategies focused on international economic integration support the process of restructuring, implementation and modernization of the country. Nguyen Hong Anh, human resources director at binh Duong Garment Company, said ROK is only the middle market, as most Vietnamese exports are not really sold to Korean consumers. With this agreement, Korean companies will look for partners in Vietnam to buy clothing that will be shipped to ROK and then exported to other countries. Gia Dinh Corporation Chairman and CEO Nguyen Chi Trung also agrees that ROK companies will benefit if they relocate more of their production activities to Vietnam, while the preferential treatment given to ROK for Vietnamese agricultural products is not essential. It should be noted that ROK is a large agricultural producer, so if it grants such treatment to Vietnam, it will impose technical barriers on Vietnamese products (Petri and Plummer, 2014, p.90). As a comprehensive agreement with a lot of commitment and balancing benefits for both sides, VKFTA Vietnam is expected to bring many positive benefits. Under the Trade Pact, the Republic of Korea will liberalize 97.2% of its imports (according to 2012 data), which accounts for 95.4% of customs lines, including many of Vietnam`s major agricultural and fisheries exports, such as shrimp, crabs, fish, tropical fruits and industrial products such as clothing, wood and mechanical products. Vietnam is the first FTA partner with which the Republic of Korea will open its market to sensitive products such as garlic, ginger, honey and sweet potatoes, usually taxed at rates between 241% and 420%.

This gives Vietnamese exports a considerable competitive advantage over similar products from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The main elements of the agreement are: trade in goods, trade in services (including the Annex on Telecommunications Services, financial services, free movement of natural persons), investment and intellectual property, animal and plant food safety and quarantine (SPS) measures, rules of origin, facilitation of customs duties, trade mitigation measures, technical barriers to trade (TBT), electronic commerce, competition, economic cooperation, institutionally and legally. . . .