The current level of environmental pollution in terms of water, air, dust and noise in Vietnam shows environmental policies have not been well implemented.

It is expected that after Vietnam joins the World Trade Organisation, the country will receive strong inflows of investment from other countries. Many industrial plants will be built, foreign-invested processing zones will be put into operation and industrial waste will be discharged.

In such circumstances, Vietnam will have to apply environmental provisions more strictly than before, otherwise, it will become an industrial waste ground for foreign countries to dispose of equipment and goods which are banned from being produced and used in their countries. Therefore, environmental regulations and provisions must be stricter and more precise. However, as for Vietnamese businesses, they will find it more difficult to comply with such regulations to invest in the environmental-friendly production lines.

There is no discriminatory practice against countries when they are engaged in the integration process. However, foreign partners often use environment factors as a tool for trade protection, affecting the benefits of under-developed countries.

Economic integration does not stop at what foreign investors will bring to Vietnam, but it also means Vietnam will have to find ways to invest in other countries. However, Vietnamese businesses often run into environmental barriers because foreign partners only accept “safe” and “environmental-friendly” technologies. It seems likely that Vietnamese businesses will be losers right on the domestic market, not to say on the foreign market.

It is clear that Vietnamese people’s awareness of environment as well as product quality is not high enough. This is a major concern for the business community.

Reality shows that businesses have to pay a high price for this as they are unable to export seafood products to the EU and US markets. Until now, most of developed countries are applying environmental standards as a tool for trade protection to minimise imports from under-developed countries.

Recently, researchers have emphasised four key factors that would help achieve effectiveness in environmental hygiene: human, financial, material and information resources. All these factors need due attention and investment from the Party, State and relevant agencies. Currently, inspection of environmental hygiene and food safety remains weak from central to grassroots levels. Information about environmental hygiene has not yet reached all rural and mountainous areas.  

So, it is imperative to carry out a series of overall measures to raise awareness of environmental factors among inspectors, businesses and even customers.

In the past, Vietnamese customers had no chance to choose products of their liking. Now, in the process of economic integration, they are free to make a good choice. It is important for businesses to think more of customers as a main factor that would help them compete better and break through environmental barriers.