FTA Index 2025 · Provincial Brief
Dong Thap
Provincial performance in implementing free trade agreements
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Classification
Fair
Fair
Ranked 16th out of 34 assessed provinces and cities.
Overall score
Higher than the national average (+1.47 points).
Pillar needing improvement
Rank 19 / 34
The province should invest in improving policies/programmes supporting FTA utilisation.
Four component indexes at a glance
A
Information access
Rank 13 / 34
4.80
/ 10
+0.01 vs avg
B
Implementation of FTA-related regulations
Rank 15 / 34
5.59
/ 10
+0.39 vs avg
C
Policies supporting FTA utilisation
Rank 19 / 34
5.74
/ 10
-0.08 vs avg
D
Sustainable development commitments
Rank 14 / 34
6.74
/ 10
+0.78 vs avg
★ Strengths
#7
Enterprises' knowledge of FTAs (A1)
#9
Quality of FTA information provided (A4)
#11
Frequency of guiding enterprises on legal documents (B2)
#12
Quality of information on web portals & impact of complying with sustainable development commitments on enterprises (A9, D2)
Areas to improve
#26
Forms of business access to FTA information & activities where enterprises utilized FTAs (A3, C3)
#25
Barriers to enterprises' FTA exploitation (C5)
Source: FTA Index 2025; scale 1–5; ranks out of 34 provinces
01
Overview of the result
Dong Thap achieved 23.13 out of 40 points, ranking 16th out of 34 provinces and cities and placing in the "Fair" group. This is a locality with good implementation results in the Mekong Delta region with three pillars scoring higher than the national average score. Enterprises' knowledge of FTAs ranked 7th, the quality of support from regulatory bodies ranked 9th, while enterprises' knowledge and readiness regarding sustainable development commitments both ranked 11th. Currently, the province's room for improvement lies mainly in policies and programmes supporting enterprises to utilize FTAs (ranked 19th, the lowest among the province's 4 pillars). Moving forward, the province should focus on building a support ecosystem closely aligned with enterprises' needs, bringing the business support pillar closer to the national average.
Dong Thap
National average
A
Information access
+0.01
B
Implementation of FTA-related regulations
+0.39
C
Policies supporting FTA utilisation
-0.08
D
Sustainable development commitments
+0.78
02
Detailed analysis by component index
A
Component Index 1
Information access
4.80 / 10
Rank 13 / 34 · +0.01
Enterprises show a good level of awareness: FTA knowledge (A1) ranked 7th, quality of information provided (A4) ranked 9th, frequency of enterprise participation in FTA-related media events (A5) ranked 11th, and information on web portals (A9) ranked 12th. Current limitations lie in the forms of enterprise access to information (A3) ranking 26th and the quality of market forecasting and import-export guidance information (A8) ranking 24th.
+0.01 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#7 Knowledge
#9 Quality
#11 Events
#26 Access forms
#24 Forecasting
B
Component Index 2
Implementation of FTA-related regulations
5.59 / 10
Rank 15 / 34 · +0.39
This is a component where the locality demonstrates evenness across evaluated aspects and records scores higher than the national average. Specifically, guidance frequency for enterprises (B2) and ease of compliance (B4) both ranked 11th; quality of guidance on implementing legal documents (B3) and the extent of absorbing and acknowledging enterprise feedback (B7) both ranked 13th; while training activities (B5) ranked 14th. Enterprises' solid grasp of legal documents on FTAs (B1) ranked 16th. Enterprises clearly understand FTA-related regulations and receive relatively frequent, quality guidance from regulatory agencies.
+0.39 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#11 Guidance freq.
#11 Compliance
#13 Quality
#13 Feedback
#14 Training
C
Component Index 3
Policies supporting FTA utilisation
5.74 / 10
Rank 19 / 34 · -0.08
This pillar has substantial room for the province to continue improving and unlocking potential. The level of FTA exploitation evaluated by enterprises (C1) ranked 14th and frequency of participating in trade promotion (C9.1) ranked 12th, indicating that the province's foundations and trade support activities are above the national average. In the coming time, the province can focus on enhancing the effectiveness of support policies/programmes (C7), helping enterprises diversify exploitation activities (C3, rank 26), and striving to minimize barriers for enterprises (C5, rank 25).
-0.08 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#12 Trade promo
#14 Exploitation
#26 Exploitation forms
D
Component Index 4
Sustainable development commitments
6.74 / 10
Rank 14 / 34 · +0.78
This is a pillar where the province records positive results: knowledge of sustainable development commitments (D1) and enterprises' readiness to comply (D3) both ranked 11th; the impact of complying with commitments on business operations (D2) ranked 12th. This result reflects an advantage for exporting enterprises in the delta region facing increasingly tightened environmental requirements.
+0.78 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#11 Knowledge
#11 Readiness
#12 Impact
03
Conclusions & implications
Strengths to build on
Enterprises' knowledge of FTAs: is an aspect recording results higher than the national average, demonstrating a good knowledge base among enterprises in the province.
Legal regulations implementation pillar: shows that guidance, compliance, and training are all being executed stably and recording positive results.
Awareness and readiness regarding sustainable development: an advantage for exporting enterprises that the province should focus on promoting.
Limitations to address
The support ecosystem is the key link requiring focused improvement: the province needs to prioritize support to help enterprises enhance competitiveness in import-export activities.
Forms of exploitation and barriers to enterprises: utilisation scope remains relatively narrow and enterprises face many obstacles.
Quality of market forecasting information: should focus on providing sector-specific forecast information.
Next steps
Address the bottlenecks to move into the highest group
Support enterprises in utilising FTAs beyond tariff reductions, diversify business support mechanisms, and minimize barriers.
C3 26 → top 15
Provide in-depth pricing and market information for enterprises in the province.
A8 24 → top 10
3
Maintain sustainability strengths
Transform awareness of sustainable development into a competitive advantage to drive certification for the locality's key export products.
D 14 → top 10
