Trade Reform in Vietnam : Opportunities with Emerging Challenges

Auffret, Phillipe

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACCESSION;    ACCESSION PROCESS;    ACCESSION TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION;    ACCESSION TO WTO;    AGREEMENT ON TRADE;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-3076
RP-ID  :  WPS3076

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

In 1986 Vietnam initiated a transitionfrom a centrally planned economy to a market-orientedeconomy where the government would keep playing a leadingrole. These renovation (doi moi) policies were successful atgenerating economic growth and reducing poverty. In theten-year socioeconomic strategy endorsed by the Ninth PartyCongress in April 2001, the authorities further articulatedtheir development objectives in terms of economic growth andpoverty reduction. To reach these objectives, the governmentindicated that its structural reform priorities were tochange Vietnam's trade and financial policies,liberalize the climate for private investment, increase theefficiency of public enterprises, and improve governance.The author argues that the pace of implementation of tradereform-which has been impressive so far-is raising newchallenges. On one side, fast liberalization of trade reformmay soon conflict with the slow pace of implementation ofother reforms, including restructuring of state-ownedenterprises and state-owned commercial banks. On the otherside, Vietnam would greatly benefit from fast implementationof trade reform and particularly fast accession to the WorldTrade Organization (WTO), especially after China'srecent WTO accession. Auffret concludes that implementationof trade reform will be a testing ground to reveal theextent of Vietnam's commitment to a market-oriented economy.