These are the first batches of fruit exported to the EU that are subject to the preferential tariffs contained within the EVFTA. They are expected to be the first of many types of Vietnamese fruit entering the 500-million-strong market. Vietnamese fruit used to be less competitive than fruit from neighbouring Thailand in terms of price, but the EVFTA has now changed the game. Fruit exporters have high hopes for the EVFTA, expecting that the trade deal will increase fruit exports to the EU by 20% and open the door to more tropical fruit from the Mekong Delta region entering the market. Challenges remain, however, as the EU is renowned for having high standards in quality. The EU requires that the origin and production stages of all fruit entering the market be traceable, while cultivation conditions in the Mekong Delta region - Vietnam’s fruit hub - still encounter multiple difficulties. A month after the EVFTA came into force, Vietnamese farm produce exports to the EU stood at 14.7 million USD, indicating the huge opportunities the trade deal offers./.