(CPV) - Reporter of the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper interviewed Mr. Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Defense, Ministry of Industry and Trade about some main results in the work in 2024 and orientation for the work in 2025.
Reporter: Could you please tell us how the situation of PVTM investigation lawsuits will develop in 2024?
Mr. Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Defense, Ministry of Industry and Trade : In 2024, the regional and international context is evolving complicatedly, along with the trend of increasing non-tariff trade protection barriers in many regions. Along with the implementation of new generation FTAs, our country's export - import turnover has been and will continue to increase, posing many opportunities and challenges.
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However, in the context of many imported goods showing signs of dumping or being subsidized, causing serious damage to a number of domestic manufacturing industries, the work of initiating lawsuits, investigating and applying trade remedies (SPS) continues to be strengthened by the SPS Department, aiming to create an environment of equal competition and legally protect domestic manufacturing industries. Up to now, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has initiated investigations into 55 SPS cases and applied 43 measures to imported goods.
Regarding litigation work, in 2024, the PVTM Department will continue to investigate and review 10 initiated cases, including 06 cases reviewed at the end of the period; initiate investigation of 03 new cases.
Of the 55 cases of investigation applying trade remedies to imported goods into Vietnam to protect domestic production industries, 43 trade remedies are in effect. These measures have contributed to ensuring a fair trade environment to prevent negative impacts of imported goods on domestic production and the employment of millions of workers, ensuring economic security and social security, increasing the state budget revenue by about 1.5 trillion VND per year.
Reporter: Yes! That is the result of the lawsuit. What about the result of the appeal? Sir!
Mr. Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Trade Remedies Authority, Ministry of Industry and Trade: In the past and in 2024, the Trade Remedies Authority will continue to promote trade remedies measures to respond to trade remedy cases investigated and applied by foreign countries to Vietnam's export goods. To date, there have been 273 trade remedy investigation cases from 25 markets and territories investigating Vietnam's export goods. In which, the leading cases are anti-dumping investigations (149 cases), followed by self-defense cases (55 cases), anti-evasion of trade remedy measures (39 cases) and anti-subsidy cases (30 cases). In 2024 alone, the number of trade remedy cases is 29 from 12 markets.
The Department of Trade Remedies has updated the warning list of goods at risk of being investigated for trade remedies and anti-trade remedy evasion. This list is updated at the end of each quarter and sent to relevant ministries, branches, provincial People's Committees, associations, and enterprises for coordination and monitoring. The work of early warning as well as supporting enterprises in responding to trade remedy cases initiated by foreign countries investigating Vietnamese export goods in recent times has brought about some positive results. Exporting enterprises are not subject to trade remedy taxes or are subject to low tax rates, contributing to maintaining and expanding export markets.
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| Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Defense, Ministry of Industry and Trade (sitting outside on the left) at the 1st Trade Defense Forum with the theme: "Trade Defense: Strengthening endogenous capacity, promoting sustainable growth" organized by the Department of Trade Defense on October 11, 2024, in Ho Chi Minh City. |
In 2024, out of 29 new cases of trade remedies initiated by foreign countries investigating Vietnamese export goods from 12 markets, 11 cases were from the US market. The Department of Trade Remedies promptly completed the investigation of a number of trade remedy cases initiated in 2023 and reviewed the application of trade remedy measures requiring handling in 2024. With the active participation of enterprises, the Department of Trade Remedies has supported the provision of information and instructions for answering the questionnaire; studied arguments at specific stages of each case; at the same time, studied conclusions and sent consultation letters to foreign investigation agencies.
Reporter: Could you tell us more about the results of the support work of the Department of Trade Remedies for some anti-dumping investigation cases with preliminary/official conclusions?
Mr. Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Remedies, Ministry of Industry and Trade: In 2024, the work of trade remedies has achieved very positive results. Some anti-dumping investigation cases have had preliminary/official conclusions, specifically as follows:
+ Determine the dumping margin of cooperative enterprises as 0%, including: (i) The case of the US anti-dumping investigation on paper plate products; (ii) The case of India anti-dumping investigation on stainless steel welded pipes; (iii) The case of Türkiye anti-evasion investigation on solar battery products. Maintain export turnover of nearly 200 million USD for related products.
+ Anti-dumping measures are not applied due to no damage to the domestic manufacturing industry: The case of the US anti-dumping investigation on extruded aluminum products and aluminum products (export turnover accounted for more than 300 million USD in recent years).
Regarding the 2024 anti-subsidy investigation, foreign countries have initiated investigations into 07 cases against Vietnamese export goods. These cases require the participation of the Vietnamese Government in responding and closely coordinating between relevant parties in responding to and handling the cases. To date, the anti-subsidy investigation cases have received remarkable results. The 03 cases with preliminary or final conclusions all determined that the subsidy margin for the cooperating defendant enterprise is less than 6% from the US market for the following products: frozen warm-water shrimp; paper plates; and solar panels (export turnover accounts for nearly 5 billion USD).
Reporter: What is the situation of the work to combat evasion of trade remedies and origin fraud, sir?
Mr. Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Defense, Ministry of Industry and Trade: In addition to the large number of foreign anti-dumping investigations on Vietnamese export goods, some major export markets, including the US market, have also increased their investigation activities to avoid trade defense measures. Typically, the number of cases related to items with large export turnover such as solar panels.
Within its responsibilities, the Trade Remedies Authority continues to implement Project 824 (according to Decision No. 824/QD-TTg dated July 4, 2019 of the Prime Minister approving the Project "Strengthening state management and combating evasion of trade remedies and origin fraud"). Synchronously carry out activities to perform assigned tasks within the framework of Project 824 such as: coordinating with foreign investigation agencies to clarify allegations of evasion of trade remedies; strengthening cooperation and information sharing to combat evasion of trade remedies and origin fraud; disseminating and popularizing potential risks and the Government's determination to combat origin fraud, illegal transshipment, and evasion of trade remedies; providing solutions and consulting options for manufacturing and exporting enterprises to avoid being investigated by other countries for trade remedies and evasion of trade remedies.
Reporter: In order to protect some domestic production industries, early warning work is of great significance. How will this work be implemented in 2024 and what will be the results, sir?
Mr. Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Remedies, Ministry of Industry and Trade: To help authorities strengthen activities to combat evasion through origin fraud, illegal transshipment and support businesses to be more prepared and proactive in handling and responding to foreign trade remedy investigations, the Department of Trade Remedies continues to strengthen the implementation of Project 316 (according to Decision No. 316/QD-TTg dated March 1, 2020 approving the Project on Building and Effectively Operating the Early Warning System on Trade Remedies of the Prime Minister).
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| (source: https://vneconomy.vn) |
The early warning system helps associations grasp the possibility of being investigated for trade remedies by foreign countries, thereby proactively considering and adjusting their business strategies appropriately to avoid and minimize the negative impacts caused by foreign trade remedies. Through early warning work, ministries, branches, localities and enterprises have not been passive in responding to foreign trade remedies. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has promptly approached associations and enterprises to provide information, helping enterprises understand the principles and investigation processes; the work that enterprises need to do; and possible scenarios. Thanks to that, enterprises have time to prepare to fully and accurately meet the requirements of foreign investigation agencies.
In an effort to prevent early investigations of exported goods, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has regularly updated the warning list of goods at risk of investigation and anti-trade remedy evasion. The updated list is sent at the end of each quarter to relevant ministries, branches, provincial People's Committees, associations, and enterprises for coordination and monitoring.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has monitored export fluctuations of more than 50 high-risk items subject to investigation for application of trade remedies or investigation against evasion of trade remedies, origin fraud, illegal transshipment and issued a warning list of 17 items among the items being monitored for ministries, branches, localities, associations, and enterprises to implement specific activities.
The work of early warning and supporting enterprises in responding to trade remedy cases initiated by foreign countries investigating Vietnamese export goods in recent times has brought about some positive results. Export enterprises are not subject to trade remedy taxes or are subject to low tax rates, contributing to maintaining and expanding export markets.
Reporter: Last question, could you please tell us some key directions, tasks and solutions in 2025 of the PVTM Department?
Mr. Chu Thang Trung - Deputy Director of the Trade Remedies Authority, Ministry of Industry and Trade: To overcome shortcomings and limitations, continue to effectively implement assigned tasks in the coming time, a number of key tasks that the Trade Remedies Authority will focus on implementing in 2025 include: Continuing to perfect the legal system on Trade Remedies on the basis of researching and reporting changes in legal regulations on Trade Remedies of other countries, especially regulations that are likely to have a great impact on Vietnam to provide timely information to management agencies and the business community. Researching and institutionalizing the cooperation mechanism on Trade Remedies with competent authorities of foreign countries; discussing with important trade partners specific cooperation contents to handle tax evasion and evasion of Trade Remedies measures.
The Department will also closely monitor the development of protectionism trends and trade conflicts between countries to propose timely response measures. Continue to focus on implementing the following projects: (i) Project 824 Strengthening state management of anti-evasion of trade remedies and origin fraud; focusing on providing information to management agencies and business associations; (ii) Project 316 Building and effectively operating an early warning system on trade remedies; (iii) Project 1659 Improving capacity on trade remedies in the context of participating in new generation FTAs; (iv) Project 1335 Promoting the work of requesting the United States to recognize Vietnam as a market economy in trade remedy cases; Overall project on requesting countries to recognize Vietnam as a market economy in trade remedy cases in the period of 2024 - 2030.
In addition, the Department continues to implement important programs on trade remedies such as the Master Program on the use and response to trade remedies to support the development of a number of Vietnamese industries in the period of 2018 - 2020, with a view to 2025. Continue to implement activities to enhance the capacity of domestic manufacturing industries in the context of Vietnam's participation in new-generation free trade agreements. Integrate trade remedy contents into programs, strategies and policies for industry development to reasonably protect domestic manufacturing industries, especially in the context of implementing new-generation FTAs such as CPTPP, EVFTA, UKVFTA and RCEP.
Reporter: Thank you very much for your interview!
Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/phong-ve-thuong-mai-va-canh-bao-som-doi-voi-hoat-dong-thuong-mai-cua-viet-nam/gop-phan-ngan-chan-tac-dong-tieu-cuc-cua-hang-hoa-nhap-khau-den-san-xuat-trong-nuoc-687324.html
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