Hanoi, Dec. 24 -- The European Union (EU) has announced it will increase food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) inspections on imports from non-EU countries by 50%, while raising the number of audits at member states' border control posts by 33%. The move places stronger demands on Vietnamese exporters to ensure product quality and strict compliance if they wish to maintain stable market access. According to Tran Ngoc Quan, Trade Counsellor at the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium and the EU, Vietnam is currently the EU's 17th largest trading partner. The country's share of total EU imports has risen steadily, from 1.8% in 2023 to 2.28% in 2024, with a large proportion contributed by agricultural, forestry and aquatic products. En...