Illustrative image (Source: vietstock.vn)Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) iscalling on the Government to maintain a series of quality and managementcontrols in the steel industry since trade fraud in steel imports is stillhigh.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) had planned to eliminateadministrative procedures in 17 fields this year, including the steel sector,in order to ease conditions for enterprises.
In December 2015, the Government issued a circular definingregulations on the management of domestically produced and imported steelquality. The circular also aimed to prevent steel exporters taking advantage ofsome zero tariff levels thereby affecting local producers.
Instances of trade fraud included importing rolled steelcontaining 0.0008 per cent boron (Bo) element labelled as a metal that enjoyspreferential zero per cent tax.
The association said the management on imported steel qualityunder the circular has helped stabilise the domestic market.
VSA also said the circular contributed to tightening imports ofsteel products which Vietnam could produce and loosening import restrictions onthose which the country needs.
VSA’s Chairman Ho Nghia Dung said that the Government shouldmaintain the circular to support the local steel sector.
Dung said the country’s total steel imports last year reached 23million tonnes, ranking it fifth in terms of import turnover.
The big steel import amount and value have also had a negativeeffect on the import-export balance, Dung noted.
In addition, construction steel is often imported from China asalloy steel to enjoy zero tax, creating unequal competition between localproducers and importers, he said.
Tran Ngoc Chu, Hoa Sen Group’s General Director, commented thatsafeguard measures have been imposed on Chinese steel by many countries. On theother hand, he also said that Vietnamese steel exported to world markets hasalso been under suspicion of shunning anti-dumping duties.
As a result, local steel producers have been are under pressure fromlawsuits on anti-dumping duties and other trade defense measures from Thailand,Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and the US, Chu said.
He said Vietnam should maintain the steel quality control system,especially for imported steel. However, he added, administrative procedures onimports of steel products, such as hot-rolled non-alloy steel and cold-rollednon-alloy steel, which Vietnam has not been able to produce, should besimplified to ensure material supplies for production.-VNA
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) had planned to eliminateadministrative procedures in 17 fields this year, including the steel sector,in order to ease conditions for enterprises.
In December 2015, the Government issued a circular definingregulations on the management of domestically produced and imported steelquality. The circular also aimed to prevent steel exporters taking advantage ofsome zero tariff levels thereby affecting local producers.
Instances of trade fraud included importing rolled steelcontaining 0.0008 per cent boron (Bo) element labelled as a metal that enjoyspreferential zero per cent tax.
The association said the management on imported steel qualityunder the circular has helped stabilise the domestic market.
VSA also said the circular contributed to tightening imports ofsteel products which Vietnam could produce and loosening import restrictions onthose which the country needs.
VSA’s Chairman Ho Nghia Dung said that the Government shouldmaintain the circular to support the local steel sector.
Dung said the country’s total steel imports last year reached 23million tonnes, ranking it fifth in terms of import turnover.
The big steel import amount and value have also had a negativeeffect on the import-export balance, Dung noted.
In addition, construction steel is often imported from China asalloy steel to enjoy zero tax, creating unequal competition between localproducers and importers, he said.
Tran Ngoc Chu, Hoa Sen Group’s General Director, commented thatsafeguard measures have been imposed on Chinese steel by many countries. On theother hand, he also said that Vietnamese steel exported to world markets hasalso been under suspicion of shunning anti-dumping duties.
As a result, local steel producers have been are under pressure fromlawsuits on anti-dumping duties and other trade defense measures from Thailand,Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and the US, Chu said.
He said Vietnam should maintain the steel quality control system,especially for imported steel. However, he added, administrative procedures onimports of steel products, such as hot-rolled non-alloy steel and cold-rollednon-alloy steel, which Vietnam has not been able to produce, should besimplified to ensure material supplies for production.-VNA
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