How productivity and trade liberalization can affect the economies of developing nations is illustrated by the Vietnamese manufacturing sectors case

This article proposes a model to examine the impact of trade liberalization on productivity growth in developing countries, exemplified by Vietnam, which is positioned at a technological distance from the frontier. Built upon the Schumpeterian framework and Total Factor Productivity (TFP) analysis, the study illustrates that free trade can directly influence the technological gap of a small developing nation by necessitating the importation of all intermediate goods from its dominant trading partner, a developed country. Moreover, trade liberalization has a negative impact on Vietnam's productivity growth, with domestic competition and trade barriers emerging as significant factors. Additionally, the research concludes that the national economic policies of Vietnam during the 2016-2020 period were ineffective, partially attributed to the failure of state-owned enterprises. As a result, international trade openness may lead to enduring adverse consequences for smaller developing countries, like Vietnam, and serves as a noteworthy example of diminishing innovation.