Good news for retailers investing or planning to invest in Vietnam and Malaysia: in the framework of its Market Access Partnership, the European Commission will tackle your market access barriers to these countries as a priority, among a small number of priority issues for specific countries.
Vietnam: Economic Needs Tests
On 1st January 2009, Vietnam opened its distribution market to 100% foreign ownership as part of its WTO commitments. However, Vietnam has scheduled an Economic Needs Test (ENT) for any outlet beyond the first one. There seems to be no implementing legislation to clarify the ENT criteria, which results in discretionary interpretation by different local authorities of the criteria contained in the GATS schedule. The lack of implementing rules, in particular clarification of ENTs, is creating legal uncertainty for EU companies.
Malaysia: Discriminatory Constraints on Foreign Operators and Lack of Transparency
New guidelines regulating Distributive Trade will come into force in March. These will:
Also of interest to retailers could be the following market access case which the Commission identified with regard to Tunisia:
Tunisia: Alcoholic Beverages – Non-Transparent Import Procedures, Restrictions
Non-transparent import procedures (imports through a single private monopoly and lack of transparency concerning import licences) and discriminatory import duties lead to import restrictions. These practices substantially hinder the access of European alcoholic beverages to the Tunisian market and explain why EU exports of wines and spirits fall short of their potential in Tunisia.
Abigail Mamo
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The Malta Chamber of SMEs represents over 7,000 members from over 90 different sectors which in their majority are either small or medium sized companies, and such issues like the one we're experiencing right now, it's important to be united. Malta Chamber of SMEs offers a number of different services tailored to its members' individual requirements' and necessities. These range from general services offered to all members to more individual & bespoke services catered for specific requirements.
A membership with Malta Chamber of SMEs will guarantee that you are constantly updated and informed with different opportunities which will directly benefit your business and help you grow. It also entails you to a number of services which in their majority are free of charge and offered exclusively to its members (in their majority all free of charge).
