Creating a fair competitive environment for manufacturing industries

In 2024, the implementation of trade defense measures to protect domestic production will be promoted, contributing to creating a fair competitive environment.

According to the report of the Ministry of Industry and Trade at the Conference to summarize the work in 2024 and deploy tasks in 2025 organized by the Industry and Trade sector on the afternoon of December 23, 2024, 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 defense measures continues to be strengthened, promoting the creation of an equal competitive environment for domestic manufacturing industries.

Trade defense measures continue to be strengthened, promoting the creation of an equal competitive environment and legally protecting domestic production industries. Photo: HP

To date, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has investigated 30 trade defense cases (including 21 anti-dumping cases, 1 anti-subsidy case, 6 self-defense cases and 2 cases of anti-circumvention of trade defense measures). Of these, 17 trade defense measures are in effect.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade assessed that 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, contributing to ensuring economic security and social security.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the total annual revenue of domestic manufacturing enterprises participating in trade defense cases is estimated at 475 trillion VND (in 2023) with the number of direct employees working at the enterprises being about 36,000 people. Annual budget revenue from trade defense tax is from 1,200 to 1,500 billion VND. At the same time, protecting important manufacturing industries of Vietnam such as: steel production (14 measures); food (5 measures); chemicals (04 measures); construction materials (02 measures); anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tax, annually contributing to the budget more than 1,000 billion VND.

Regarding the response to foreign trade defense cases, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that in 2024, there were signs of a significant increase in the number of trade defense investigations against Vietnamese exports, including anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, self-defense and anti-circumvention investigations of trade defense measures.

To date, there have been 272 trade defense investigations from 25 markets and territories investigating Vietnam's export goods, including: anti-dumping investigations (149 cases), self-defense cases (54 cases), anti-circumvention of trade defense measures (39 cases) and anti-subsidy (30 cases).

In 2024 alone, there will be 26 cases of trade defense investigations from foreign countries against our export goods. Of which, the United States, India, Canada, and Indonesia are the markets with the highest tendency to conduct trade defense investigations against Vietnam (the United States accounts for nearly 50% of the total number of cases initiated against Vietnam's export goods).

Regarding the work of combating trade defense evasion and origin fraud, the Ministry of Industry and Trade regularly monitors and strengthens cooperation and information sharing to combat trade defense evasion and origin fraud; propagates and disseminates potential risks and the Government 's determination to combat origin fraud, illegal transshipment, and evasion of trade defense measures; provides solutions and consulting options for manufacturing and exporting enterprises to avoid being investigated by other countries for trade defense and evasion of trade defense measures. Thereby helping to detect and handle individual enterprises that violate the origin of goods or only carry out production stages with insignificant added value in Vietnam.

In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has also actively implemented early warning activities to support businesses in responding to foreign trade defense lawsuits that initiate investigations into Vietnam's export goods. In particular, the Ministry regularly updates the warning list of goods at risk of being investigated and avoiding trade defense (the list is updated in the last month of each quarter) and sends it to relevant ministries, branches, provincial People's Committees, associations, and businesses for coordination and monitoring.

At the same time, monitor export fluctuations of more than 50 items at high risk of being investigated for trade defense measures or investigated for evasion and fraud of origin, and illegal transshipment (the Ministry has issued a warning list of 17 items for ministries, branches, localities and enterprises to implement specific activities).

The Ministry of Industry and Trade acknowledged that the work of early warning and supporting businesses to promptly respond to trade defense cases initiated by foreign countries investigating Vietnam's export goods in recent times has brought about some positive results, thanks to which export businesses are not subject to trade defense taxes or are subject to low taxes, contributing to maintaining and expanding export markets.

In 2025, the trend of de-globalization is rising strongly; protectionist policies of countries are increasing. Therefore, according to the goals set for 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to effectively implement preventive solutions, improve trade defense capacity, provide early warning and resolve international trade and investment disputes, proactively protect the legitimate interests of domestic production industries and the legitimate interests of businesses and people.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/phong-ve-thuong-mai-tao-lap-moi-truong-canh-tranh-binh-dang-cho-cac-nganh-san-xuat-365819.html