VIETNAM TRADE MINISTER'S LETTER TO SECRETARY LOCKE

UNCLAS HANOI 000436 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MLS MBROWN COMMERCE FOR COMMERCE FOR SECRETARY LOCKE COMMERCE FOR ACTING U/S ONEILL 4430/MAC/AP/OPB/VLC/JBENDER USTR FOR DBISBEE, RMALMROSE AND ESHEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EIND ECON ETRD VM SUBJECT: VIETNAM TRADE MINISTER'S LETTER TO SECRETARY LOCKE ¶1. On May 08, 2009, Embassy Hanoi received a letter from Minister Vu Huy Hoang, of the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade, regarding the anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation against polyethylene retail carrier bags imported from Vietnam. ¶2. The Ministry of Industry and Trade translated the original text of the letter from Vietnamese. ¶3. BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER: Hanoi, 06 May 2009 To: H.E. Secretary Gary Locke Department of Commerce of United States of America Your Excellency, On behalf of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (MOIT),I would like to present my complements to you and at the same time expresses our deep concerns about the DOC decision to take the initiative in a countervailing duty investigation against polyethylene retail carrier bags imported from Vietnam. In the consultation on 15th April, 2009, MOIT delegation led by Deputy Minister Le Danh Vinh clarified the issues related to the petition. In this letter, I would like to emphasize important issues as follows: It has been 7 years since DOC last studied Vietnam's economy. In the absence of any recent, comprehensive analysis of Vietnam's economy, MOIT requests DOC remaining in its traditional position in non-application of countervailing duty law to "non-market economies", not to apply the countervailing duty law to Vietnam as long as Vietnam is still officially designated by DOC as a "non-market economy.". In all cases, Vietnam should be treated fairly and properly in a non-discriminatory way as any other developing countries at the low level of development Moreover, DOC decision to take the initiative in the CVD case investigation not only creates worries and losses for Vietnamese exporters and related US importers, but also could make dangerous precedent for encouraging similar lawsuits to goods imported from Vietnam and negative impacts on trade relation between the two countries. Once again, MOIT expresses our deep concerns about the DOC decision and its serious consequences in this CVD case and kindly request you to have necessary directions to ensure the fair behavior to Vietnam, simultaneously avoid worries and losses that are mentioned above. Regards, Vu Huy Hoang Minister Ministry of Industry and Trade Socialist Republic of Vietnam END TEXT OF LETTER MICHALAK