HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese exports have been the subject of 107 trade remedies investigations in the world, a Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) official said."

Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang, Director of the WTO Integration Centre under the VCCI, said of the 107 cases, 78 were anti-dumping investigations, 12 were anti-subsidy cases, and 17 were anti-tax investigations.

The information was released at a workshop on new trends in law and trade protection organised by the VCCI in Hà Nội on Monday.

Trang said the situation in the US regarding trade protection had changed significantly over the years, which had affected Vietnamese exports to the American market. 

“The US is one of Việt Nam’s largest export markets, but it is a place where Vietnamese exports are confronted with the numerous anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and anti-tax investigations,” Trang said.

“The amount of scrutiny our exports face in the US is higher than any other large market of Việt Nam.”

Statistics from the VCCI show that about 20 per cent of anti-dumping investigation cases on Vietnamese products have been initiated by the US, which is followed by India, Turkey, and Australia in terms of the number of cases.

A number of neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, which had not initiated cases before 2011, have since filed numerous suits against Vietnamese exports. However, they are also the countries against which the most number of suits are filed.

Việt Nam has been so far facing to 78 anti-dumping cases, mostly related to industrial, garment, and metal products, Trang said.

She said she hoped the conference would help Vietnamese firms keep up with the latest information on US legal regulations. 

Daniel Calhoun, Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance at the US Department of Commerce, said WTO agreements on anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and trade defence were unchanged despite efforts to adjust some regulations related to the agreements. 

Trang pointed out that anti-dumping lawsuits normally have a short duration, and that early preparation is crucial as technical requirements are complicated and Vietnamese firms are not ready for lawsuits abroad and lack legal support. 

Domestic enterprises should raise their awareness and knowledge of the procedures of lawsuits in the export market, while regularly coordinating with their import partners to keep track of changes in regulations. — VNS