EU, Vietnam Sign Free Trade Deal

The EU and Vietnam signed a free trade deal that removes nearly all tariffs between Europe and one of the world’s last communist states. The agreement, which follows a similar one with Singapore last year, was a milestone in EU ties with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Vietnam and Singapore. EU will remove more than 99 per cent of tariffs on goods traded between the two economies over a period of up to seven years.