An application of the SMART model to assess impacts of the EVFTA on Vietnam's imports of automobiles from the EU

Abstract

This paper assesses the potential impacts of the European - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on Vietnam's imports of automobiles from the EU by adopting the Software on Market Analysis and Restrictions on Trade (SMART) based on two scenarios. The simulation results reveal that the EVFTA would result in a significant increase in Vietnam's automobile imports from the EU, implying that the EU would be still among the biggest car sources for Vietnam in the upcoming time. However, when Vietnam extends its coverage of tariff elimination to also ASEAN+3, the reduction in Vietnam's automobile imports from the EU would be considerable. Another important finding is that an uneven distribution in Vietnam’s additional automobile imports from the EU by nation, automobile group and automobile product would occur when the EVFTA comes into effect. In both scenarios, trade creation effects are higher than trade diversion effects and hence, the EVFTA could raise welfare of Vietnam. Based on these results, the paper ends by drawing out some implications for the Vietnamese government and domestic enterprises to be better prepare for the upcoming ambitious EVFTA.