越南昨日完成了歷時長久的入世談判，即將成為世界貿易組織(WTO)第150個成員。
Vietnam yesterday completed its protracted negotiations to join the World Trade Organisation, putting it on track to become the WTO’s 150th member.
越南的入世談判開始於1995年。為了加入世貿組織，享受那些僅向成員國提供的更為優惠的貿易條款，越南政府接受了苛刻的入世條件。
Hanoi, which has been negotiating entry since 1995, has accepted tough conditions as the price of joining the world trade club and the more favourable trade terms offered to members.
雖然越南頗具競爭力的服裝生產商將受益於對美歐出口限制的減少，但在這個國家主導色彩依然濃厚的`經濟體中，其它行業將面臨外國供應商更為激烈的競爭，同時，許多政府補貼也將取消。
While Vietnam’s competitive clothing manufacturers will benefit from fewer restrictions on their exports to the US and Europe, other sectors in the still heavily state-dominated economy will face stiffer competition from foreign suppliers and the removal of many government subsidies.
擁有8400萬人口的越南，自20世紀90年代初實行經濟自由化政策以來，經歷了快速的經濟增長，目前已成為中國以外亞洲表現最好的經濟體。
Vietnam, with a population of 84m, has experienced rapid growth since economic liberalisation policies were put in place in the early 1990s, and is now the best performing economy in Asia after China.
儘管遇到了某些限制，如美國3年前對越南鯰魚徵收反傾銷稅，以及歐盟(EU)最近決定對越南和中國鞋類徵收高額關稅，但越南出口仍實現了跨越式增長。
Exports have grown by leaps and bounds, despite restrictions such as US anti-dumping duties on catfish imposed three years ago and a recent decision by the European Union to impose duties on Vietnamese and Chinese shoes.
越南貿易部長張廷選(Truong Dinh Tuyen)表示，他希望越南“廣泛而深遠”的入世承諾，能使該國經濟的發展勢頭持續下去。
Truong Dinh Tuyen, Vietnamese trade minister, said he hoped his country’s “extensive and far-reaching” WTO commitments would allow its economic momentum to continue.
世貿組織總理事會計劃在11月7日召開一次特別會議，批准越南的入世協議。預計越南國會將於12月5日之前批准相關協定，而在這一批准通知世貿組織30日後，越南將正式成為世貿組織成員。
The WTO’s governing council is due to endorse Vietnam’s accession terms at a special meeting on November 7. The Vietnamese National Assembly is expected to ratify the accords by December 5, and Vietnam will become a member 30 days after ratification is notified to the WTO.
越南將於今年11月中旬主辦今年的亞太經合組織(APEC)峰會，它的入世肯定無法在此之前實現了。
But this will be after Vietnam hosts this year’s summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum in mid-November.
此外，雖然越南政府與美國在今年5月締結了一項雙邊市場準入協議，但華盛頓方面可能不會立即給予越南作為世貿組織成員應該享有的全部貿易特權。
In addition, although Hanoi concluded a bilateral market access deal with the US in May, Washington may not be in a position straight away to grant Vietnam all the trade concessions it would normally be entitled to as a WTO member.
這是因為，美國國會尚未批准給予越南“永久正常貿易關係”地位。這項立法遭到國會議員的阻攔，他們擔心減少障礙會導致進口服裝激增。
This is because the US Congress has yet to approve “permanent normal trade relations” with Vietnam, after the legislation was held up by lawmakers fearful that easing curbs would lead to a surge in clothing imports.
