FTA Index 2025 · Provincial Brief
Hung Yen
Provincial performance in implementing free trade agreements
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Performance tier
Fair
Fair
Band 4 of 6 — 19th of 34 assessed provinces and cities.
Overall score
The score is 0.50 points below the national average of 21.66.
Weakest pillar
27/ 34
Support policies — the widest gap of the four pillars (−0.69).
Four component indexes at a glance
A
Information access
Rank 18 / 34
4.64
/ 10
-0.16 vs avg
B
Implementation of Legal Documents
Rank 20 / 34
5.24
/ 10
+0.03 vs avg
C
Policies Supporting Enterprises' FTA Utilisation
Rank 27 / 34
5.13
/ 10
-0.69 vs avg
D
Sustainable development commitments
Rank 18 / 34
6.23
/ 10
+0.26 vs avg
★ Key relative strengths
#9
C4 — FTA commitments utilised
#12
A3 — Channels through which enterprises access information on FTAs
#14
B1 — Understanding of legal documents
#15
A8 — Quality of forecasting and market-orientation information from local authorities
Critical areas for improvement
#33
C8 — Need for FTA support programmes and policies
#31
B2 — Frequency of local-authority guidance on legal documents
#31
B7 — Uptake of enterprise feedback by local authorities
#30
A7 — Quality of FTA-related events
Source: FTA Index 2025; scale 1–5; ranks out of 34 provinces
01
Overview of the result
Hung Yen scored 21.16 out of 40, ranking 19th of 34, and was placed in the Fair tier. The province sits 0.50 points below the national average of 21.66. As one of the largest manufacturing and FDI hubs in the northern industrial belt, Hung Yen has a large body of capable export-oriented firms. Its system for guiding and supporting firms , however, remains underdeveloped. Support for FTA utilisation ranks 27th, held back by weak trade promotion, the need for more appropriate support programmes and policies ( 33rd nationally), and limited guidance and training mechanisms for firms.
Hung Yen
National average
A
Information access
-0.16
B
Implementation of Legal Documents
+0.03
C
Policies Supporting Enterprises' FTA Utilisation
-0.69
D
Sustainable development commitments
+0.26
02
Detailed analysis by component index
A
Component Index 1
Information access
4.64 / 10
Rank 18 / 34 · -0.16
Overview
Hung Yen has a reasonably stable base for FTA information access, particularly on forms of access ( 12th nationally) and the quality of forecasting and import-export market-orientation information (15th). Knowledge of FTAs and the quality of FTA-related information on the online portal both need improvement. As an industrialised province and a major FDI hub, Hung Yen's task is to move from fairly traditional information channels towards more direct, interactive engagement with firms.
By firm type
Small firms participate least: many rarely or never attend FTA-related events and typically rate information quality as no better than average. Traditional channels such as print and television remain common, while conferences, training and digital publications are not used regularly.
-0.16 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#12 Channels through which enterprises access information on FTAs
#15 Quality of forecasting and market-orientation information from local authorities
#29 Frequency of participation in FTA-related events
#29 Quality of FTA information relative to business needs
#30 Quality of FTA-related events
B
Component Index 2
Implementation of Legal Documents
5.24 / 10
Rank 20 / 34 · +0.03
Overview
On the positive side, firms in the province have a reasonably solid grasp of the legal documents and do not regard compliance as excessively complex, with the complexity indicator ranking 23rd. Support from state agencies, however, is not yet regular: the frequency of guidance on legal documents and local authorities' uptake of enterprise feedback for updating them both rank 31st.
By firm type
Large and FDI firms understand preferential tariff schedules and rules of origin better. Small and private domestic firms struggle noticeably more with technical content such as SPS, TBT and intellectual property. Access to legal guidance is uneven across firm groups, leaving those with weaker internal capacity exposed when applying FTA commitments.
+0.03 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#14 Understanding of legal documents
#28 Quality of guidance on legal documents
#29 Frequency of participation in training on legal documents
#31 Frequency of local-authority guidance on legal documents
#31 Uptake of enterprise feedback by local authorities
C
Component Index 3
Policies Supporting Enterprises' FTA Utilisation
5.13 / 10
Rank 27 / 34 · -0.69
Overview
On the positive side, a segment of firms already exploits specific FTA commitments ( 9th nationally), showing that FTA capability exists within the province's export sector. The support system, however, has not kept pace with real demand: firms still struggle to access policy, broaden the ways they use FTAs, and join trade promotion programmes.
By firm type
Private domestic and small firms face more barriers, lacking market information and a clear grasp of FTA commitments. For private and medium-sized firms, the difficulties also come from limits on capital, technology, C/O compliance and technical standards. Large firms rate trade promotion slightly more positively, but middling assessments remain the norm across most groups.
-0.69 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#9 FTA commitments utilised
#23 Effectiveness of support policies and programmes implemented by local authorities
#26 Participation in trade promotion programmes
#28 Access to competitiveness support policies
#33 Need for FTA support programmes and policies
D
Component Index 4
Sustainable development commitments
6.23 / 10
Rank 18 / 34 · +0.26
Overview
Hung Yen scores slightly above the national average on this component. The result does not amount to a clear advantage, however, since the underlying indicators sit largely in the middle of the field. The province has a working base in forms of support and compliance-support effectiveness, but understanding of the sustainable development commitments, perceived impact, and firm readiness all need reinforcing.
By firm type
Many firm groups in the province do not have a clear grasp of sustainability content such as biodiversity, forest management, EUDR, CBAM and CSDDD — private domestic and FDI firms especially. Most firms also expect only low to moderate impact from the labour, environmental and biodiversity commitments. State-owned firms, by contrast, respond fairly uniformly across the different topics.
+0.26 vs avg
National rank by indicator
#22 Forms of support for compliance with sustainable development commitments
#23 Effectiveness of support from local authorities
#25 Readiness to comply with sustainable development commitments
#27 Perceived impact of sustainable development commitments
#28 Perceived importance of compliance with import-market sustainable development commitments
03
Conclusions & implications
Strengths to build on
Firms have a reasonably good base for exploiting FTAs: a segment of firms already uses specific FTA commitments, showing that export capability and the ability to work with FTAs are clearly present in the province.
Firms have a fairly solid base of legal understanding: firms do not regard FTA compliance as unduly difficult, which gives the province room to upgrade guidance and advisory work along more practical lines.
A clear industrial and FDI advantage: as a manufacturing hub in the northern industrial belt, the province is well placed to build a more specialised FTA support system for export supply chains.
Limitations to address
The business support system has not kept pace with the province's industrial scale: many firms still struggle to reach support policy, trade promotion and capacity-building programmes.
FTA guidance and training need to be more frequent: firms lack channels for updates, advice and practical dialogue while applying FTA commitments.
Small and private domestic firms need deeper support: these groups still face barriers on market information, capital, technology, C/O, technical standards and the newer sustainability requirements.
Next steps
Address the bottlenecks to move into the highest group
1
Step up FTA implementation guidance
Deliver more regular, more practical guidance on rules of origin and technical commitments for exporters.
Pillar B · 20th → higher
2
Pin down what support firms actually need
Run a rapid review of constraints by firm group, especially small firms, private domestic firms and those in industrial supply chains.
Pillar C · 27th → higher
3
Widen promotion and utilisation support
Improve access to policy, trade promotion and capacity-building so firms move beyond a handful of isolated commitments.
Institutional capacity
4
Prepare for sustainability requirements
Support textile, electronics, processing and exporting firms on labour, environment, CBAM, EUDR and CSDDD.
Pillar D · 18th → higher
