Vietnam calls US anti-dumping tax rate on honey harmful to beekeepers and farmers

February 18, 2022

HANOI — Việt Nam has strongly protested the US Department of Commerce’s plan to impose an anti-dumping tariff of up to 400% on imported Vietnamese raw honey products.

In a regular press conference held on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lê Thị Thu Hằng said that Việt Nam is always eager to promote the comprehensive partnership with the United States, especially in terms of of commerce and business, which should be more geared towards greater balance, mutual benefit and sustainability, she said.

The official added that Việt Nam is ready and regularly discusses with the United States through existing mechanisms such as the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) to further promote economic interests and bilateral trade and investment relations, and resolve any issues. that may arise, contributing to the advancement of Việt Nam-United States relations as well as the interests of both peoples.

The anti-dumping tax would have “very negative impacts on the beekeeping industry, of which the United States has been the main import market”, she noted, adding that it would also have a negative impact on the agriculture and culture of Việt Nam as a whole, as artificially bred bees also contribute to this. pollination of crops.

This will certainly have a direct impact on the livelihoods and employment of many beekeeping and farming families in Việt Nam, especially those in the southern region and central highlands, Hằng said.

“As far as I am concerned, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Việt Nam are actively working with their American counterparts at different levels to solve the problem, and we call on the United States United to ensure that any measure they impose in this matter must be based on a spirit of objectivity, fairness and in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and avoid causing undue harm Vietnamese beekeepers and beekeeping businesses,” the spokesperson stressed.

Regarding the mention of Việt Nam as one of the “key regional partners” with whom the Biden-Harris administration wishes to strengthen relations in its recently published Indo-Pacific strategy (February 11, 2022), Hằng said that Việt Nam hopes that everyone will cooperate. initiatives in the Indo-Pacific would contribute to peace, stability and development in the region.

They will also have to respect international law, as well as the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, and ensure the centrality of ASEAN in the evolving regional architecture.

Việt Nam seeks to promote relations with the United States as well as with all other partners to intensify efforts against COVID-19, promote economic recovery, response to climate change and many other areas, in order to ensure peace and prosperity in the region.