If Vietnam wants to continue exporting face masks to European Union (EU) and US, it must meet all CE and FDA standards.
This was strongly conveyed by many industry experts at a recently conducted seminar on CE and FDA standards in Hanoi. It is important to note that ever since the pandemic has gripped the world, several garment factories in Vietnam have switched to PPE manufacturing.
Further corroborating on this, Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director, Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Import and Export Department, said “Businesses in Vietnam can fully utilise the opportunities to enhance exports to EU and US markets if they actively meet all the requirements of these markets.”
The seminar was organised by the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association (VITAS) and MoIT.
In response to questions related to CE and FDA standards, experts said that the CE certificate requests products to satisfy the requirements for safety, health and environmental protection before being exported to EU.
The experts also said that similarly the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations include requirements for the safety of products exported to the US.
MoIT has been lately organising many such seminars to help local firms understand and get CE and FDA certificates for exporting products – especially for products like face masks and protective gear.
Conforming to what Hai said, Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, Chief Representative, British Standard Institute (BSI) Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Hanoi, shared that to manufacture masks and protective gear that match CE and FDA standards, Vietnam must also have input materials that meet those standards.
Importantly, to gain from the EVFTA, Vietnam must understand all quality requirements of EU market.
