Strawberry products are showcased before being served on Vietnam Airlines flights.

Establishing a solid legal foundation

To promote international trade, Son La province has built a solid and transparent legal framework. The Provincial People's Committee has implemented many comprehensive solutions to create favorable conditions for trade and attract investment. Legal documents are regularly reviewed and updated to align with international commitments, avoiding overlaps and conflicts, thus reassuring businesses and partners. In addition, the province enhances the effectiveness of state management by developing specific plans for implementing free trade agreements (FTAs). The Department of Industry and Trade is assigned the leading role, responsible for coordinating and supervising the entire implementation process under the direct guidance of the Provincial People's Committee.

Administrative reform and digital transformation are considered the "key" to boosting trade activities. Every year, the province develops an administrative reform plan, focusing on key tasks: applying information technology to streamline administrative procedures; promoting the deployment of online public services; and building a provincial-level information system for handling administrative procedures, seamlessly connected to the National Public Service Portal.

Tea picking on the Moc Chau plateau.
Photo: PV

Thanks to concerted efforts, in 2024, the province's administrative reform index reached 90.02%, an increase of 1.36%, moving up one rank compared to 2023, placing it 12th out of 63 provinces and cities. The provincial-level public administration and governance efficiency index ranked 25th out of 63, an increase of 5 ranks, placing it in the medium-high group. The satisfaction index regarding administrative services reached 84.05%, an increase of 7 ranks compared to 2023, representing a 1.82% increase in score. These results create a foundation for promoting trade and local economic development.

Empowering agricultural products to reach the international market.

To help businesses and cooperatives effectively utilize opportunities from FTAs, Son La province has implemented many comprehensive support programs, mainly focusing on helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) easily access preferential capital, with lending interest rates adjusted flexibly according to the regulations of the State Bank of Vietnam and credit institutions. To date, the total outstanding loan balance for businesses in the province has reached VND 15,252 billion, with 539 businesses still having outstanding loans, accounting for 33.77% of the total outstanding loan balance of the province.

Simultaneously, guidance was provided on procedures for businesses to benefit from tax exemptions and reductions, land rent reductions, and fee waivers; support was given for registration, declaration, and electronic tax payment through specialized software, saving time and costs. Businesses and cooperatives participated in 24 programs, events, and conferences to connect with consumers and promote agricultural exports.

To enhance the competitiveness of businesses, in 2024, the province established the Son La E-commerce Platform (sonla.sanviet.vn) with 40 businesses, cooperatives, and 60 products participating, provided digital skills training for 240 agricultural households, implemented digital agricultural data, and trained 174 people in managing planting area codes.

Bich Thao Coffee Cooperative, Hua La commune, City, received support in the form of machinery for processing and exporting.

The entire province has 27 accounts on the buudien.vn platform, listing 197 products on the e-commerce platform, including 94 OCOP products. Leveraging the strengths of local agricultural products, the province supports businesses, cooperatives, and people in applying good agricultural production practices, managing product origin, and implementing digital transformation in agriculture, aiming towards an "agricultural economy" and high-tech agriculture.

Mr. Vu Tien Dinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, reported: The entire province has 2,714 hectares of crops applying good production practices, 8,217 hectares of organic production, 18,429 hectares of coffee certified with 4C, UTZ, and RA standards; 4,028 hectares of water-saving irrigation; 56 hectares of greenhouses and glasshouses; and 8 high-tech agricultural zones. Branding and intellectual property protection have been established for 29 products bearing geographical names, 188 OCOP products have been developed, 11 packaging facility codes have been assigned, and 205 growing area codes have been assigned for export to China, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the EU, and other markets, covering nearly 3,000 hectares.

Yen Chau round mangoes are a typical agricultural product protected in the European market under the EVFTA Agreement, which came into effect in July 2020. Mr. Lu Van Cuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Chau district, said: The district has nearly 300 hectares of round mangoes, of which 177 hectares in Chieng Pan and Sap Vat communes have been granted geographical indication certification. Thanks to brand protection, Yen Chau mangoes have affirmed their position and expanded their export market. In 2024, the district exported 4,000 tons of mangoes, earning approximately 1.3 million USD, equivalent to 33.04 billion VND, enhancing their value and competitiveness in the international market.

Towards sustainable development

To facilitate stable and fair trade development, Son La province has always paid attention to market inspection and control. In 2024, functional forces inspected 1,308 cases, thereby detecting and handling 971 violations related to the production, trading, and transportation of prohibited goods, smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, intellectual property infringement, and food safety violations. The total amount of fines and recovered funds remitted to the state budget exceeded 3 billion VND, contributing to maintaining market stability, improving the business environment, and attracting investment to the locality.

The Song Ma Mango Agricultural Service Cooperative in Na Nghiu commune, Song Ma district, packages mangoes for export.

Along with maintaining the domestic market, the province proactively supports businesses in responding to challenges from the international market, especially trade defense measures. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, stated: The province has directed relevant departments, agencies, and localities to disseminate relevant policies and legal documents such as Decree No. 10/2018/ND-CP and Circular No. 37/2019/TT-BCT. It has also directed specialized agencies to review and adjust support policies to align with FTA commitments and integration requirements. The Department of Industry and Trade provides information and coordinates the handling of trade defense cases affecting local products and businesses. Simultaneously, it actively contributes feedback on new regulations from foreign countries and proactively responds to emerging issues.

Simultaneously, the province, in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, organized training activities to enhance knowledge and raise awareness of trade defense for officials, civil servants, businesses, and associations in the province. They also developed materials and encouraged businesses and cooperatives to participate in conferences to disseminate legal knowledge on trade defense, aiming to strengthen awareness of the early warning system and improve the capacity to utilize warning information for production and business purposes.

In 2024, Son La's trade activities experienced high growth, with total retail sales estimated at 35,800 billion VND, an increase of 14.3%, exceeding the plan by 5.9%, and basically meeting domestic demand. Exports reached 198 million USD, an increase of 6.1%, of which agricultural products accounted for 190 million USD, an increase of 6.9%, with coffee, tea, and fruits being the mainstays, and processed agricultural products accounting for 95.96% of the total value.

Through continuous efforts and synchronized solutions, Son La province is gradually and effectively exploiting the opportunities offered by the FTA, promoting strong and sustainable trade development, and bringing practical benefits to the business community and local people.

Phan Trang