Businesses must abide by international rules.

In the face of trade defense investigations, Vietnamese businesses must comply with market rules in order to proactively prevent and avoid trade defense measures. This was shared by agricultural expert Hoang Trong Thuy with a reporter from the Industry and Trade Newspaper.

The number of trade defense investigations against Vietnamese export goods is increasing rapidly. Photo: VNA

Sir, in recent times, trade defense investigations against Vietnamese export goods have increased rapidly, including agricultural products. How do you assess this issue?

The increase in trade defense investigations against Vietnamese export products is no longer surprising, given the current trend in many countries to strengthen protection for their domestic industries.

In particular, in the context of deep economic integration with the global economy, participating in and signing numerous Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) has expanded opportunities for our goods to penetrate many demanding markets. Therefore, as production and export capacity increase, our goods will face more trade defense investigations.

In fact, after numerous incidents, a positive sign is the impressive progress in the response capabilities of authorities and businesses. In particular, the capacity and experience of businesses in trade defense have gradually improved, especially in sectors frequently subject to trade defense investigations such as steel, seafood, and wood.

Significantly, for these sectors, many associations have demonstrated their role as a bridge between businesses within the industry, between businesses and regulatory agencies, and as representatives to protect the common interests of the industry. Authorities, especially the Ministry of Industry and Trade, have also clearly demonstrated their role as a pillar in protecting the interests of Vietnamese goods and businesses in the global economic arena.

Agricultural expert Hoang Trong Thuy

What steps should industries take in the coming period to maintain stable export performance?

With the current export growth rate, Vietnam's manufacturing and export sectors are expected to continue facing the risk of increased trade defense investigations in the coming period, especially anti-circumvention investigations, from various export markets. The nature of these cases will also become increasingly complex and difficult to respond to and handle.

Given this situation, businesses and industries must clearly recognize that Vietnamese goods are under scrutiny for trade defense measures in many markets. Therefore, businesses need to make timely changes to their production and business operations; strictly comply with market regulations and requirements, and enhance the competitiveness of their products. On the other hand, it is necessary to build and supplement a workforce knowledgeable in trade defense, avoiding the need to spend significant costs on hiring international lawyers when pursuing investigations initiated by foreign countries.

Furthermore, Vietnamese export goods are currently facing fierce competition from similar products from other countries in the region. Therefore, businesses must promote technology transfer, produce goods according to green trends, and develop sustainably in line with market demands; implement a clear and transparent system for managing and tracing the origin of raw materials, ensuring compliance with the requirements of importing countries; maintain accounting records according to international standards, and keep complete invoices and documents to prove that they are not engaging in dumping practices when investigated.

It is necessary to strictly adhere to regulations on certificates of origin; not abet acts of origin fraud or evasion of trade defense measures; and cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in preventing acts of counterfeiting, origin fraud, and illegal transshipment.

From the perspective of the authorities, how should early warning systems be strengthened in response to the "wave" of trade defense investigations?

Relevant agencies and ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Vietnamese trade offices, must provide forecasts of market consumption trends and strengthen early warning systems for potential trade defense risks affecting various industries.

In particular, the Ministry of Industry and Trade needs to continue to closely coordinate with relevant agencies to strengthen inspection and supervision of origin and post-customs clearance, preventing acts of evading trade defense measures, fraud, and exploiting Vietnam to export goods from other countries.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also needs to strengthen coordination with associations and localities to disseminate information on trade defense measures to the business community. This will enable businesses to understand the basic principles of investigating and applying trade defense measures, and their potential impact on their production and export activities. At the same time, ministries and agencies need to build digital databases on specific industries to help businesses dominate the market and avoid missing opportunities for tariff reductions under FTAs.

Thank you, sir!

Source: https://congthuong.vn/truoc-cac-vu-viec-dieu-tra-phong-ve-thuong-mai-doanh-nghiep-phai-tuan-thu-luat-choi-quoc-te-315588.html