FTA Index 2025 · Provincial Brief

Ninh Binh

Provincial performance in implementing free trade agreements

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Performance tier

Band 5 of 6 — 33rd of 34 assessed provinces and cities.

Overall score

12.49

/ 40

The score is 9.17 points below the national average of 21.66.

Weakest pillar

34/ 34

Sustainable development — last nationally, the widest gap (−3.23).

Four component indexes at a glance

A Information access

Rank 33 / 34

2.61 / 10 -2.19 vs avg

B Implementation of Legal Documents

Rank 32 / 34

2.91 / 10 -2.30 vs avg

C Policies Supporting Enterprises' FTA Utilisation

Rank 33 / 34

4.49 / 10 -1.33 vs avg

D Sustainable development commitments

Rank 34 / 34

2.73 / 10 -3.23 vs avg

★ Key relative strengths

#17 A8 — Quality of forecasting and market-orientation information from local authorities

#18 A3/C5 — Channels through which enterprises access information on FTAs & Barriers to FTA utilisation

#21 C1 — FTA utilisation

#23 C8 — Need for FTA support programmes and policies

Critical areas for improvement

#34 D2 — Perceived impact of sustainable development commitments

#33 C9.1 — Participation in trade promotion programmes

#32 D6 — Forms of support for compliance with sustainable development commitments

#31 B5/B6/C9.2/D5 — Training participation / Enterprise policy feedback / Trade promotion quality / Importance of sustainable development compliance

Source: FTA Index 2025; scale 1–5; ranks out of 34 provinces

01

Overview of the result

Ninh Binh scored 12.49 out of 40, ranking 33rd of 34, and was placed in the Average tier. The province sits 9.17 points below the national average of 21.66. FTA implementation across the province has considerable room to improve on all four pillars. Sustainable development needs the most attention, ranking 34th nationally. Trade promotion, legal guidance, training and access to support policy all need to be delivered more regularly and more visibly. Ninh Binh does, however, have some initial footing in forecasting information, forms of information access, and firms' FTA utilisation.

Performance across the four component indexes

Ninh Binh National average

A Information access

2.61

4.79

-2.19

B Implementation of Legal Documents

2.91

5.21

-2.30

C Policies Supporting Enterprises' FTA Utilisation

4.49

5.82

-1.33

D Sustainable development commitments

2.73

5.97

-3.23

02

Detailed analysis by component index

A

Component Index 1

Information access

2.61 / 10

Rank 33 / 34 · -2.19

Overview

Ninh Binh has some footing on FTA-related information: the quality of forecasting and import-export market-orientation information ranks 17th and the forms of access to FTA information rank 18th nationally. Knowledge of FTAs, the quality of FTA-related information on the online portal and frequency of event participation all still need to improve. Notably, the quality of FTA information relative to business needs ranks 30th, indicating that the content delivered needs to be clearer, more practical and better matched to firms' needs.

By firm type

Most firms still reach FTA information mainly through mass channels such as press and television, while participation in conferences, training and specialised publications remains fairly limited. Small and private domestic firms take part in FTA communication activity less often, while state-owned firms typically rate information quality as no better than average.

Ninh Binh 2.61

National average 4.79

-2.19 vs avg

National rank by indicator

#17 Quality of forecasting and market-orientation information from local authorities #18 Channels through which enterprises access information on FTAs #26 Knowledge of FTAs #29 Sources of information on FTA-related events #30 Quality of FTA information relative to business needs

B

Component Index 2

Implementation of Legal Documents

2.91 / 10

Rank 32 / 34 · -2.30

Overview

Ninh Binh needs to strengthen both the regularity and the depth of legal support for firms: understanding of the legal documents ranks 28th, while the frequency of guidance on those documents and local authorities' uptake of enterprise feedback for updating them both rank 30th nationally. The guidance material that does exist needs to be presented more clearly and closer to the situations firms actually face.

By firm type

Large, FDI and private domestic firms understand tariff preferences, rules of origin, SPS, TBT and related commitments better. Many firms nonetheless stop at a basic level of understanding, particularly on the more technical content. State-owned firms respond fairly uniformly but remain weak in the more specialised legal areas.

Ninh Binh 2.91

National average 5.21

-2.30 vs avg

National rank by indicator

#25 Quality of guidance on legal documents #26 Complexity of compliance with legal documents #30 Uptake of enterprise feedback by local authorities #31 Frequency of participation in training on legal documents #31 Frequency of enterprise feedback on legal documents related to FTA commitments

C

Component Index 3

Policies Supporting Enterprises' FTA Utilisation

4.49 / 10

Rank 33 / 34 · -1.33

Overview

There are some positive signals from firms: utilisation of the FTAs Viet Nam has signed ranks 21st, showing that a segment of firms in the province can still reach and use FTA benefits given the right conditions. Exploitation of specific commitments, however, does not run deep, and access to support policy and programmes, and to trade promotion activity, needs further improvement.

By firm type

Tariff preferences and rules of origin are the most clearly recognised FTA benefits, especially among large and FDI firms. More technical content — TBT, SPS, trade remedies, intellectual property, labour and environment — is understood and used far less. Small and private domestic firms find these more complex commitments harder to reach, given the greater demands on information, compliance capacity and documentation.

Ninh Binh 4.49

National average 5.82

-1.33 vs avg

National rank by indicator

#18 Barriers to FTA utilisation #21 FTA utilisation #31 Quality of trade promotion programmes #32 Access to competitiveness support policies #33 Participation in trade promotion programmes

D

Component Index 4

Sustainable development commitments

2.73 / 10

Rank 34 / 34 · -3.23

Overview

Ninh Binh shows initial recognition of sustainable development content, with understanding of the commitments ranking 26th nationally. Readiness to comply, the perceived importance of complying with import-market sustainable development commitments, and the forms of support available all still need reinforcing. Notably, the perceived impact of the sustainable development commitments ranks 34th nationally, indicating that many firms do not yet clearly feel how these requirements bear on production, business activity and market access.

By firm type

Large, FDI and private domestic firms hold a basic or somewhat better understanding of the sustainability content. The labour and environmental commitments register more clearly in day-to-day operations, while the biodiversity commitments have yet to produce any pronounced effect.

Ninh Binh 2.73

National average 5.97

-3.23 vs avg

National rank by indicator

#26 Understanding of sustainable development commitments #30 Readiness to comply with sustainable development commitments #31 Perceived importance of compliance with import-market sustainable development commitments #32 Forms of support for compliance with sustainable development commitments #34 Perceived impact of sustainable development commitments

03

Conclusions & implications

Strengths to build on

An initial base of FTA information exists: forecasting information quality and forms of information access are the relatively better indicators, showing that firms do have some channels for keeping up with market information and FTA commitments.

A segment of firms has begun using FTAs: firms in the province are not entirely outside the opportunities from integration, particularly where the conditions for access are right.

Firms show initial recognition of sustainable development: understanding of the commitments has taken hold in some firm groups, giving a basis for widening guidance on labour, environment and market standards.

Limitations to address

The FTA information system must become more practical: the content delivered needs to be clearer, easier to use and closer to what each firm group actually needs.

Legal guidance needs to be delivered more regularly: rules of origin, SPS, TBT, C/O and the technical commitments need explaining in terms close to the situations firms actually face.

Support policy and trade promotion need to widen: firms want to use FTAs, but access to support programmes, trade promotion and competitiveness-building still needs reinforcing.

Next steps

Address the bottlenecks to move into the highest group

1

Raise the quality of FTA information

Improve the content coming from state agencies, the online portal and existing channels — shorter, clearer and tied to firms' real needs.

Pillar A · 33rd → higher

2

Step up practical legal guidance

Run guidance more often on rules of origin and the technical commitments, presented through real-world situations.

Pillar B · 32nd → higher

3

Widen FTA utilisation support

Improve access to support programmes, trade promotion and market matching so firms can exploit FTAs more deeply.

Pillar C · 33rd → higher

4

Prepare early for sustainability requirements

Provide information and practical training on labour, environment, traceability and biodiversity.

Pillar D · 34th → higher