Vietnam Exports Make Spectacular Breakthrough in US Market

Vietnam’s exports to the US reached US$23.5 billion in the first 11 months of 2013 and were forecast to surpass US$25 billion for the first time in history in 2013, up 22.5 percent from a year earlier. Based on statistical data, the country’s exports to the US accounted for 20 percent of its total export turnover. Huge export earnings helped Vietnam enjoy a trade surplus of US$20 billion in the year, because its imports from the US were valued at US$5 billion in 2013. In total, the two-way trade revenue was over US$30 billion in 2013. The enormous trade surplus with the US market helps us offset the trade deficit with China in 2013.

 

In 2014, the US continues to be a large and important market for Vietnam. The country’s exports to the US are estimated to expand 10 percent in 2014. However, its exports to the US always face obstacles arising from trade barriers, anti-dumping lawsuits and anti-subsidy suits, including key items like seafood (shrimp, catfish, basa fish), apparel and footwear.

 

In fact, the US market has specific characteristics, not only being an ordinary export or commercial market but also a market with politics. As I have repeatedly reported, interest groups of the United States, for the sake of their benefits, frequently impose trade barriers, antidumping lawsuits and anti-subsidy lawsuits in order to discourage Vietnamese exports and protect their domestic market.

 

Recently, the Vietnam Trade Office in the United States has had very good collaboration with Vietnam’s business and industry associations and enterprises, especially big ones, to pursue legal cases. Needless to say, the Trade Office has worked closely with every Vietnamese enterprise to pursue litigations, worked with lawyers and consultants to help businesses defend remedies to trade, antidumping and anti-subsidy lawsuits.

 

Specifically, in 2013, we won the shrimp case. As known, the US intended to impose very high anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Vietnam's shrimp. Fortunately, the Vietnam Trade Office endeavoured to stand side by side with Vietnamese businesses and associations, cooperated with foreign lawyers and consultants to pursue this lawsuit. Eventually, we completely won the case and successfully ended with zero anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tax on shrimp.

 

With respect to policy advice, the US has annual reports on trade barriers in other countries, including Vietnam. Every year, the Vietnam Trade Office in the United States also has reports to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as other relevant ministries on the US’s trade barriers to Vietnam. In addition, new policies with potential effects on Vietnam’s exports like the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA), whose contents concern technical barriers on Vietnam’s exports, are studied intensively by the Vietnam Trade Office to notify the country and propose concerned ministries and agencies like the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to inform, introduce and train enterprises on new laws.

 

This work is still being carried out regularly by the Vietnam Trade Office to report on all new laws and policies, especially those with technical barriers and other remedies to key exports of Vietnam.

 

Regarding anti-dumping and countervailing lawsuits in connection with Vietnamese exports, business associations work very closely with the Vietnam Trade Office in the US. Big companies like Vinh Hoan and Minh Phu seafood companies have close relations with us.