Strengthening support for Hanoi businesses in responding to trade defense investigations

In order to maintain exports, it is necessary to increase support for Hanoi businesses to respond to trade defense investigations in the Asia-Africa and Oceania markets.

Businesses are still passive when they become the subject of investigation.

The Asia-Africa and Oceania region is an important export market for Vietnam, but at the same time, this is also a market with many trade defense investigations against Vietnam's export goods. According to the Department of Trade Defense, Ministry of Industry and Trade , up to now, 14/25 countries in the Asia, Africa and Oceania market group have investigated 145/268 different trade defense cases against Vietnam's export goods.

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

Particularly for Hanoi, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade said that for the markets of Asian, African and Oceanian countries, including 120 countries, which have been important export markets in recent years, the export value of goods by the end of the third quarter of 2024 reached nearly 10 billion USD, accounting for 67% of the total export turnover of the entire city of Hanoi. However, the protectionist policies of countries are increasing, which also creates competitive pressure on manufacturing industries in importing countries, causing these industries to have to request the government to use trade defense measures such as anti-dumping, anti-subsidy, and self-defense.

Mr. Nguyen The Hiep - Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade said that some industries and enterprises have identified trade defense investigations as a normal activity in international trade, so they are proactive in handling and responding to foreign trade defense investigations. However, because most of them are small and medium-sized enterprises, their understanding of trade defense is not deep, they are still passive when they become the subject of investigation, not clearly understanding the work that needs to be done while the requirements of foreign investigation agencies are very strict in terms of time sequence, procedures, and information that enterprises must provide.

In response to trade defense investigations from this market group, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has advised the city to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to handle trade defense cases related to products and businesses in the city, such as the case of India investigating anti-subsidy of stainless steel imported from Vietnam in 2018; the case of Australia investigating anti-dumping and anti-subsidy of precision steel pipes from Vietnam in 2020; ...

However, through records, it is shown that trade defense work still has some limitations, specifically: The work of propaganda and dissemination of information on trade defense in general as well as specific trade defense cases is regularly deployed by the city and in many diverse forms, but the interest of enterprises and state management officials is still limited and passive. Some Associations have not yet fully promoted their role as a bridge between state management agencies and enterprises, between enterprises in Associations and Associations; trade defense work has not received due attention from Associations and Associations...

The competitiveness of enterprises is still low; many enterprises are still confused in changing to meet the technical barriers of countries when participating in foreign markets; policies to attract and use talents and high-quality human resources have not yet achieved the desired results, especially in training and attracting specialized knowledge teams on trade defense...

Strengthening support to improve trade defense capacity for businesses

According to Mr. To Ngoc Son - Deputy Director of the Department of Asian - African Markets, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam's overall exports in the last months of 2024 are expected to achieve positive results. However, there will be many difficulties and challenges as competition in traditional export markets is increasing, the phenomenon of issuing protectionist measures in some markets such as India and ASEAN is increasingly common; the trend of imposing new import standards and sustainable green consumption is becoming more and more popular.

Deputy Director of the Trade Defense Department - Ms. Truong Thuy Linh also said that most of the major traditional export markets have initiated trade defense investigations against Vietnam. The scope of investigated products is increasingly diverse, not limited to products with large export turnover such as shrimp, pangasius, steel, wood ... but expanded to products with medium and small export value and volume such as lawn mowers, honey, paper plates ...

In particular, according to Ms. Truong Thuy Linh, the market investigation trend is increasingly strict, specifically placing high requirements on the Government and investigated enterprises; the scope of investigation is increasingly expanding, including new contents such as investigation to review product scope, investigation against evasion of trade defense measures. At the same time, trade defense tax rates may be pushed up due to market economy issues.

“ From the above risks, local agencies will be an important information channel for local businesses; be the focal agency, the extended arm of central agencies; coordinate in providing information for investigation. Accordingly, there needs to be close coordination with central agencies to further strengthen exchange, training and coaching activities; actively improve knowledge of trade defense for businesses ” - Ms. Truong Thuy Linh expressed.

In the coming time, to promote and boost the potential of exporting goods as well as improve the capacity to respond to trade defense cases in the Asia - Africa and Oceania markets, Mr. Nguyen The Hiep informed that Hanoi City will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to deploy solutions to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises and manufacturers with the best ability to adapt to the new situation; build and implement policies and mechanisms to promote production and export, focusing on monetary policy under the direction of the Government...

In addition, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade also proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade strengthen research on the application of appropriate trade defense measures to support the protection of the market and Vietnamese enterprises from foreign competition. Through the system of representative agencies abroad, timely reports on policy changes of partners and reactions of foreign markets are available to promptly provide appropriate solutions and countermeasures.

In addition, according to the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Industry and Trade needs to coordinate regularly and closely with local trade defense agencies to effectively implement trade defense work and measures. At the same time, it is necessary to orient propaganda work for localities, regularly and promptly provide information, documents, and propaganda materials to localities to have a basis for propaganda in the area.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/tang-cuong-ho-tro-doanh-nghiep-ha-noi-ung-pho-dieu-tra-phong-ve-thuong-mai-358571.html