Second Review Of Application Of Anti-Dumping Measures Of Some Aluminum Products from China

On June 10, 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No. 1149/QD-BCT on the second review of the application of anti-dumping measures for a number of aluminum products originating from the People’s Republic of China (case code AR02.AR05).

 

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The above decision requires a review of the application of anti-dumping measures to certain aluminum, alloy or non-alloy products, in the form of bars, rods and shapes, extruded, whether or not treated surface treatment, whether or not further processed, imported into Vietnam and classified under HS code: 7604.10.10; 7604.10.90, 7604.21.90, 7604.29.10, 7604.29.90.

To ensure the interests of all organizations and individuals involved in the case, the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam recommends that relevant organizations and individuals do the followings: register as a related party in the review case to access publicly circulated information during the review process; submit comments, information and evidences related to the content of the review; cooperate with the investigating agency in the investigation and review process.

The conduct of procedures related to the review process must not interfere with the application of anti-dumping measures in force.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our international trade lawyers, countervailing duty lawyers in Vietnam and antitrust lawyers in Vietnam at ANT Lawyers could be of help.

 

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Anti-dumping Law: The Basic Concepts

1. What is dumping?

In international trade, dumping is a phenomenon occurs when a commodity is exported at a price lower than the selling price of that item in the domestic market of the exporting country. Therefore, it is simple to understand that if the export price of a commodity is lower than its domestic prices, the product may be considered to be dumped.

 

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2. Why is dumping?

There are many causes of dumping in international trade. In fact, there are many cases that seller deliberately dumping in order to achieve certain benefits such as: Dumping to eliminate competitors in the import market to become monopoly and gain market share; Selling at low price to acquire foreign currency… Sometimes, the dumping is reluctant because the manufacturer and exporter cannot sell product, the production is stalled then the long-term storage products could be corrupted… Hence, they have to sell off to recover capital.

In international trade, the anti-dumping tax may be imposed without regarding to the reason why the manufacturers dumping. Dumped into foreign markets is often perceived as a negative phenomenon because it reduces the competitiveness of prices and the market share of domestic products of importing countries.

However, dumping can have positive impacts on the economy: consumers benefit from low price goods; if dumped goods are inputs of other manufacturing sector then the low raw material prices can make certain growth of that industry… Therefore, not all acts of dumping will be applying the anti-dumping measures.

As regulated by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the anti-dumping measures can only be applied in certain circumstances and must meet certain conditions. Specifically, the anti-dumping measures are applied only when the following three conditions are met: The imported goods are dumped; the manufacturing sector of similar products of the importing countries is significantly affected; there is a causal relationship between the dumping of imports goods and losses mentioned above

3. The anti-dumping tax?

The anti-dumping tax is the additional taxes besides the normal import tax, which is imposed on foreign products that are dumped into the importing country. This type of tax is to prevent dumping and eliminate the damages caused by the dumping of imported goods. In fact, the anti-dumping tax is used in many countries as a form of “legal protection” for its domestic production. In order to prevent the abuse of this measure, the WTO member countries have together agreed on the provisions required to comply regarding the investigation and imposition of anti-dumping tax, concentrated in an Agreement of the WTO on anti-dumping, which is the ADA Agreement.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our international trade lawyers, countervailing duty lawyers and antitrust lawyers in Vietnam at ANT Lawyers - A Anti-dumping law firm in Vietnam  could be of help.

 

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Regulation On Imposing Anti-Dumping Duty

Regulation On Imposing Anti-Dumping Duty under Vietnam Laws

Imposition of anti-dumping measure includes imposition of provisional anti-dumping duty and official anti-dumping duty. According to Law on export and import duties 2016, anti-dumping duty means an additional import duty imposed upon dumped imports in Vietnam that cause or threaten to cause considerable damage to domestic manufacturing or prevent the formation of domestic manufacturing.

 

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The imposition of provisional anti-dumping duty is decided by the Minister of Industry and Trade according to the preliminary determination provided by the investigating authority. The rate of provisional anti-dumping duty shall not exceed the dumping margin defined in the preliminary determination. The maximum duration of imposition of provisional anti-dumping duty is 120 days from the days on which the decision on imposition of anti-dumping duty comes into force. In case of the request of an exporter of like products exported to Vietnam, the Minister of Industry and Trade may give an extension of provisional anti-dumping duty up to 60 days. The provisional anti-dumping duty shall be imposed after 60 days since the issuance of the decision on investigation of the Minister of Industry and Trade. The amount of anti-dumping duty paid under decision on imposition provisional anti-dumping duty issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade that is in excess of the payable amount after the official decision of Minister of Industry and Trade shall be refunded to the taxpayer.

The imposition official anti-dumping duty is decided by the Minister of Industry and Trade according to the final determination provided by the investigating authority. The rate of anti-dumping duty shall not exceed the dumping margin defined in the final determination. The maximum duration of anti-dumping duty is five years from the day on which the decision on imposition of anti-dumping duty comes into force, unless it is extended as prescribed in the law.

Two conditions for applying anti-dumping duties are the imports being dumped in Vietnam and the dumping margin must be determined and the dumping causes or threatens to cause considerable damage to domestic manufacturing or prevents the formation of domestic manufacturing. Rules for applying anti-dumping duties include: (1) Anti-dumping duty may only be applied to a reasonable extent to prevent or minimize damage to domestic manufacturing; (2) The anti-dumping duties shall be applied after an investigation is carried out and conform to the investigation conclusion as prescribed by law; (3) Anti-dumping duty shall be imposed upon dumped imports in Vietnam; (4) The application of anti-dumping duties must not cause damage to domestic socio-economic interest.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice regarding trade remedies measures including: anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, Our international trade and tax lawyers, and antitrust lawyers in Vietnam at ANT Lawyers, a Anti-dumping law firm in Vietnam have always followed the development of situation and update the clients on relevant matters.

 

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What Are the Conditions for Initiating an Anti-dumping Case in Vietnam

Anti-dumping measures as trade remedies are imposed to protect the domestic market against the unfair penetration and competition from foreign goods. GATT requires member countries to reduce tariffs as well as other non-tariff trade barriers on goods in general and to impose trade remedies in accordance with statutory conditions and procedures in particular.

 

What Are the Conditions for Initiating an Anti-dumping Case

The investigating authority must verify the satisfied conditions under regulations of the anti-dumping law and requests the Minister of Industry and Trade to issue a decision on the initiation of investigations. In order to comply with GATT and ADA, an anti-dumping investigation are initiated if (i) there is obvious evidence that import of dumped goods causes or threatens material injury to an established industry or materially retards the establishment of a domestic industry and (ii) organizations or individuals representing the domestic industry submit an application for the anti-dumping measures.

How to determine dumping actions and its consequences?

The dumping action is one of the conditions required as imposing anti-dumping measures.  A product is to be considered as being dumped (i.e. introduced into the commerce of another country at less than its normal value) if the export price of the product exported from one country to another is less than the comparable price, in the ordinary course of trade, for the like product when destined for consumption in the exporting country. Besides, the anti-dumping measure shall not be imposed on a product whose dumping margin is not more than 2% of its export price.

The investigating authority must determine whether the domestic established industry is materially injured or threatened material injury or establishment of a domestic industry is materially retarded or not. The investigating authority of the importing country shall be liable for proving these factors based on specific evidences.

A causal link between the dumped imports and the alleged injury is required. The dumping of goods imported into Vietnam causes or threatens material injury to an established industry or materially retards the establishment of a domestic industry. Factors other than dumping of goods imported into Vietnam such as trade restriction policy, development of technology, export capacity and productivity of domestic manufacturing industry, etc., will not be considered as effect caused by the dumping of goods.

Whom could request for imposing anti-dumping measures?

Investigation is conducted upon request of imposing anti-dumping measures by organizations or individuals representing the domestic industry. Organizations or individuals are deemed as representation of domestic industry if: The total production of like products produced by the applicant(s) and domestic producers supporting the application is greater than those produced by domestic producers that opposite to the application; and the total production of like products produced by the applicant(s) and domestic producers supporting the application accounts for at least 25% of total production of like products produced by the domestic industry.

Upon receiving a sufficient dossier as prescribed by the laws, the investigating authority shall conduct the dossier appraisal within a certain time limit and recommend the Minister of Industry and Trade to decide whether the investigation is initiated or not.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our competition, anti-dumping, and countervailing duty lawyers in Vietnam of International trade and tax practice at ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam always follow up anti-dumping cases and its development to update clients on regular basis.

 

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Trade remedies in Vietnam

When participating in the process of international economic integration, every country voluntarily cut off the trade barriers for goods to easily circulate among each other. However, in the legal framework of World Trade Organization (WTO), the countries are allowed to impose trade remedies if satisfying certain conditions. Vietnam has officially become a member of WTO since July 11 2007 and the imposing of these trade remedies are regulated in Law on foreign trade management 2018.

 

According to Law on foreign trade management 2018, trade remedies includes anti-dumping measure, countervailing measure and safeguard measure. Specifically, (i) Anti-dumping measure imposed on imports into Vietnam is a measure imposed on products that are dumped when being imported to Vietnam, which causes material injury or threaten to cause material injury to domestic industry or retard the establishment of the domestic industry; (ii) Countervailing measure imposed on imports into Vietnam is a measure imposed on products that are subsidized when being imported to Vietnam, which causes the material injury or threat of material injury to the domestic industry or retards the establishment of the domestic industry; (iii) Safeguard measure imposed on foreign products imported into Vietnam is measure imposed on increased imports of particular products to Vietnam, which causes the serious injury or threat of serious injury to the domestic industry.

The domestic industry mentioned above refers to the producers as a whole of the like products within the territory of Vietnam or those whose collective output of the like products constitutes a major proportion of domestic production of those products. Besides, the injury to domestic industry shall be determined on each level: (i) Material injury to domestic industry; (ii) threat of material injury to domestic industry; (iii) material retardation of establishment of a domestic industry; (iv)serious injury to domestic industry; (v) threat of serious injury to domestic industry.

Due to the imposing of these remedies directly affecting to foreign producer/exporter as well as domestic industry, thus, it is required to comply to six following rules when imposing these remedies:

Firstly, impose measures within the reasonable scope and level for a certain period of time to protect domestic industry, prevent or limit the injury to it;

Secondly, only impose measures after the investigation is carried out transparently and fairly in accordance with regulations of law and based on determinations of the investigation;

Thirdly, decisions on the investigation and the imposition of trade remedies shall be published;

Fourthly, if the duty rate of an official trade remedy is higher than those of a provisional trade remedy, the difference of duty will not be collected;

Fifthly, if the duty rate of an official trade remedy is lower than those of the provisional trade remedy, the difference of duty will be returned;

Sixthly, if the Minister of Industry and Trade does not impose an official trade remedy, the duty of provisional trade remedy that has been collected or the amount for ensuring the payment of temporary trade remedy duties shall be returned.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our competition, anti-dumping, and countervailing duty lawyers in Vietnam of International trade and tax practice at ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam always follow up anti-dumping cases and its development to update clients on regular basis.

 

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Public Consultation on the Investigation of the Application of Anti-circumvention Measures Against a Cane Sugar Products

The Ministry of Industry and Trade hold a public consultation session on the investigation of the application of anti-circumvention measures against a number of cane sugar products (Case No.AC02. AD13-AS01) on March 09th, 2022 (Hanoi time), in the online platform.

 

On September 21^st, 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued the Decision No.2171/QD-BCT on the investigation of the application of anti-circumvention measures against a number of cane sugar products.

According to the regulation on Law on Foreign trade management, the related parties of the investigated case may send the investigating authority the information and opinions related to the cases in writing. The inspecting authority shall give an opportunity to interested parties for the consultation in case of the written request. Before the final determination of investigation is disclosed, the investigating authority can organize the public consultation in manner that interested parties can present information and opinions related to the case.

The related parties could register to take part in the public consultation and send the questions for the consultation before 17:00 on March 07^th, 2022 (Hanoi time).

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our competition, anti-dumping, and countervailing duty lawyers in Vietnam of International trade and tax practice at ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam always follow up anti-dumping cases and its development to update clients on regular basis.

 

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Extension of Answering the Questionnaire on Anti-dumping Case AD16

Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam issued the announcement on extension of the term of answering the official questionnaire on investigating the application of anti-dumping measures on some products of office desks and chairs originating from China and Malaysia (Case No. AD16).

 

On December 06th, 2021, the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam issued the official Questionnaire for the foreign manufacturers, exporters in the case No. AD16.

On January 05th, 2022, the Investigation agency extended the term of answer the questionnaire for the first time on January 26th, 2022.

According to Article 35.2 Decision No.10/2018/ND-CP on guidelines for the law on foreign trade management on trade remedies dated January 15th, 2018, within 30 days after receiving the investigation questionnaires, the concerned parties must provide written replies to all questions in the questionnaire. In case of necessity or there are written requests for extension with reasonable reasons from the concerned parties, the investigating authority may extend the time limit but not more than 30 days.

The Investigation agency extended the term of answering the questionnaire for the second time at 17:00 P.M on February 09th, 2022.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our competition, anti-dumping, and countervailing duty lawyers in Vietnam of International trade and tax practice at ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam always follow up anti-dumping cases and its development to update clients on regular basis.

 

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Prepare Application for Anti-dumping Review in Vietnam

How to Prepare Application for Anti-dumping Review in Vietnam?

The review of anti-dumping measures on imported goods will be conducted by Vietnam Competition Authority  (VCA) 12 month from the decision by Ministry of Trade and Commerce is issued.

 

Application dossiers requesting for review of imposition of anti-dumping measures shall including (i) Application and (ii) Other documents and information deemed necessary by the requesting party, in Public and Limited version to be submitted to VCA.

The followings information must be provided by the requesting party at the submission of application for review of the anti-dumping duty imposition:

1.The status of dumping of imports

This section focuses on the change in the dumping status of imports into Vietnam during the period from the imposition of anti-dumping duty to the time the applicant submits the application.

The information to be provided includes, but is not limited to, expanding / narrowing the scope of the goods subject to the imposition of anti-dumping measures; Type / type of goods, producer / exporter selected to calculate the change in dumping margin, change in margin of dumping, normal price, export price for one or a group of foreign producers/ exporter (Note: The method of calculating the data must be consistent with the methodology which the VCA has guided in the dossier requesting the application of anti-dumping measures.)

2.Material damages or threaten to material damages

This section identifies evidence of substantial damages / threat of material damages to the domestic industry caused by imported goods dumped into Vietnam for investigation by the VCA, decide according to the actual situation.

Requesting party should provide the following information:

-The situation of importing goods

Information and data on the situation of import of goods subject to anti-dumping measures (amount and value) from the date of application of the anti-dumping measure before the submission of the dossier according to the set form and two (02) years earlier.

-Market share of similar goods domestically produced and imported goods

Comparative information on market share of domestically produced and imported goods shall be subject to dumping from the time of imposition of tax prior to the filing of the application in the form and the previous two (02) years.

-Impact of imports on domestic prices

Information on the impact of imported goods on the prices of domestically produced goods from the time of imposition of tax prior to the submission of dossiers according to the set form and two (02) years earlier.

-The situation of production and business activities of the domestic manufacturing industry

Information on production and business activities of the manufacturing industry from the date of application of the tax prior to the date of application and two (2) years before.

-Invest in upgrading machines and infrastructure to meet domestic demand

Information on fundamental changes in machinery and factory infrastructure is related to changes in capacity and capacity to meet the needs of the Vietnamese market from the time of application of the tax before submission and two (02) years earlier of the domestic industry. Data should be shown in the following table:

-Current situation of employers in the domestic industry

Number of employees (or estimated number) engaged in the production, management and distribution of domestically produced goods subject of the investigation.

-Inventory fluctuations

The amount and value of inventory requested for the application of the measure anti- dumping domestic production.

3.Scope of goods subject to anti-dumping measures

-Purpose, reason for requesting exclusion of products imported by the company from the scope of application of anti-dumping measures.

-Information on products the company proposes to exclude from the scope of application of anti-dumping measures: HS code, technical specifications, technology, use purpose, production process, …

-The list of domestic enterprises producing the same products as the imported products of the company.

List of other importing enterprises jointly importing the company’s proposed goods for exclusion.

-Documents indicating the difference between the company’s products proposed exclusion and similar products domestically produced. If there are quality comparisons, please indicate the source of these quality criteria (e.g.Vietnamese standards sets, internationally recognized standards …).

-Information on alternative sources of imports, the difference between those sources.

-Other information, documents and evidence that the company deems appropriate to explain the exclusion of the product is appropriate.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our competition, anti-dumping, and countervailing duty lawyers in Vietnam of International trade and tax practice at ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam always follow up anti-dumping cases and its development to update clients on regular basis.

 

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Request for Imposition of Anti-dumping Measures in Vietnam

How to Prepare and Request for Imposition of Anti-dumping Measures in Vietnam? 

Organizations or individuals representing a domestic industry (Requesting Party) have the right to submit an application of request for imposition of anti-dumping measures if seeing that goods are dumped thus causing injury to that domestic industry.

 

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The requesting party could themselves prepare or seek legal help from local international trade lawyers for representing and submitting an application of request for imposition of anti-dumping measures in Vietnam.

Following are

Stage 1: Preparation for the application

Application of request for imposition of anti-dumping measures (hereinafter referred to as “Application of request”) includes a written request for imposition of anti-dumping measures (hereinafter referred to as “Written request”) and related documents.

Stage 2: Submitting the application

The Requesting Party must submit one (01) copy of the Application of request to Dumping and Subsidy Investigation Division (hereinafter referred to as “Investigating Authority”) under Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, Ministry of Industry and Trade, which is located on 23 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. The authority works during office hours from Monday to Friday.

In case of the Requesting Party asks to keep some information in the Application request confidential, Requesting Party must submit two (02) copies of the Application of request which comprise one (01) copy containing public information and one (01) copy containing confidential information. Regarding the confidential information, the Requesting Party must attach a detailed explanation of the request for confidentiality of the information and a summary of the contents of the confidential information that may be disclosed to other relevant parties.

The Investigating Authority shall verify the adequacy and validity of the Application of request and notify the result to the Requesting Party within 15 days from the receipt of the application.

Stage 3: Supplementing the application

In case of the Application of request is not adequate or valid, the Investigating Authority shall request supplementation from the Requesting Party. The time limit for supplementation of the application is decided by the investigating authority but not lower than 30 days from the notification of supplementation.

In case of the Application of request is adequate and valid, the Investigating Authority shall inform the related parties including the Requesting Party about receiving the application and start to verify the content of the Application of request. After this stage, the procedure for submitting an application of request for imposition of anti-dumping measures shall be completed.

In general, the information in the Application request should be adequate and valid. However, to pass the content verification and become a basis for issuing a decision to launch the investigation, the Requesting Party must satisfy the two (02) following conditions:

In terms of the condition of legal status, the Requesting Party must be eligible for the legal representative status of the domestic industry as prescribed in Art. 79(2) and Art. 87(2) of the Law on Foreign Trade Management (Art. 31(2)(a) Decree 10/2018/ND-CP). The Requesting Party shall be regarded as representing a domestic industry when all the following requirements are fully met:

i) The total volume or quantity of similar goods manufactured by the domestic manufacturers that submit the dossier and domestic manufacturers that support the request for application of anti-dumping measures is larger than the total volume or quantity of similar goods manufactured by the domestic manufacturers that oppose such request;

ii) The total volume or quantity of similar goods manufactured by the domestic manufacturers that submit the dossier and domestic manufacturers that support the request for application of anti-dumping measures accounts for at least 25% of the total volume or quantity of similar goods manufactured by the domestic industry concerned.

In terms of the condition of evidence, the Requesting Party should prepare sufficient documents on the dumping on goods imported to Vietnam to prove that the dumping of such goods significant damage, threat to cause significant damage to domestic industry or significant obstruction to the establishment of the domestic industry. The contents that need to be carefully and fully prepared are:

i) Information on the normal price and export price of the described goods in the Written request; dumping margin of the imports subject to investigation of anti-dumping measures;

ii) Information, data and evidences on significant damage, threat to cause significant damage to domestic industry or significant obstruction to the establishment of a domestic industry;

iii) Information, data and evidences on the causal relationship between the import of goods requested to investigate and the damage to domestic industry significant damage, threat to cause significant damage to domestic industry or significant obstruction to the establishment of a domestic industry.

If Client needs any more information or request for legal advice or potential dispute regarding trade remedies measures including, anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguard measures or international trade dispute matters, our competition, anti-dumping, and countervailing duty lawyers in Vietnam of International trade and tax practice at ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam always follow up anti-dumping cases and its development to update clients on regular basis.

 

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