Is Vietnam duty free to EU?

Is Vietnam duty-free to the EU? Gosh, that's a great question! I've been wondering about that myself, actually, because my cousin's thinking of importing some gorgeous Vietnamese silk scarves.

Okay, so what I've pieced together – and I'm no expert, mind you, I just read a bunch of articles – is that the EU-Vietnam trade deal is huge. Seriously, like, almost all tariffs are disappearing. It's amazing! Remember when I tried to buy those hand-carved wooden bowls from a small shop in Hanoi? The shipping was insane, partly because of those tariffs. This deal should make things way cheaper.

Vietnam already slashed a ton of their duties, right? And the EU's following suit, getting rid of theirs too, pretty darn quickly. It feels like a total win-win situation, potentially super-boosting both economies. I mean, more trade, more jobs, more…well, more everything, right? But…here's where I get a little worried. Will this actually help small businesses? Won't the big corporations just swallow everything up? I really hope this doesn't end up hurting those lovely little shops in Hoi An, you know, the ones that sell those amazing lanterns? That would break my heart. It's a complex thing, I guess. More to it than just "free trade is good," isn't there? I'm still trying to wrap my head around all the implications.