|
UPDATE
Vietnam’s
Ministry of Trade hosted Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Josette Shiner, and
Director for Southeast Asia & APEC Affairs, Elena Bryan, in Hanoi July 21-23. The delegation from USTR
were in Hanoi to discuss
BTA implementation and Vietnam's WTO accession. The
U.S. side recently conducted bilateral and multilateral talks with Vietnam in
June 2004 in conjunction with Vietnam’s 8th Working Party meeting in
Geneva. The next round of bilateral negotiations is expected to be
held in October 2004.
In preparation
for these meetings, USVTC has prepared an updated
issues paper and
USVTC
Report -
"The
U.S.-Vietnam BTA: Survey of U.S. Companies on Implementation Issues"
(last
updated 10 May 2004)
for USTR's consideration.
Associated Press
U.S. Offers to Back Vietnam's WTO Bid
07.24.2004, 07:32 PM
Vietnam has made
strong progress in its efforts to join the World Trade Organization and
Washington has offered to support its membership bid, a senior U.S. trade
representative said on Saturday.
Deputy U.S. Trade
Representative Josette Sheeran Shiner, on a four-day official visit to Hanoi,
said Vietnam's latest trade liberalization offer to Geneva-based WTO last month
was a good sign of its commitment.
"Vietnam put forward
a very serious offer," she said. "It definitely advanced the process."
Hanoi has repeatedly
stated its goal of joining by 2005, though WTO officials have said it won't make
the Jan. 1 deadline it initially set.
On Saturday, Shiner
said the timing was "in the hands of Vietnam."
"We understand their
interest in getting this done as soon as possible, and have offered technical
assistance and responsiveness to meet their goals," she said.
The 2005 deadline is
particularly crucial for Vietnam, since the country's textile and garment
industry - a major component of its exports - is subject to quotas until it
joins the 147-member WTO.
The quota system will
be eliminated for all members by the end of this year.
Vietnam first applied
for WTO membership in 1995. The world body requires applicants to reach
bilateral deals with any member that requests them, and to complete overall
reforms to bring it in line with international trade law.
Shiner said that
Vietnam's "impressive record" in following through with a landmark 2001
bilateral trade agreement with the United States is a key sign that it's serious
about WTO membership.
The wide-ranging pact
required Vietnam to liberalize its market access and meet international
standards on investment, trade and financial transparency.
"For Vietnam, the
critical issue is one of demonstrating the ability to implement its
commitments," Shiner said.
"With the (U.S.
bilateral trade agreement), they have done a good job in a number of areas," she
said. "But of course, there are areas we'd like to see stronger implementation,
more effective implementation, more timely implementation."
Saying she'd had
"good productive talks" during the week with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and
other senior Vietnamese leaders. Shiner announced that the next round of
U.S.-Vietnam trade talks would be held in October.
Trade between the two
countries has boomed since the December 2001 trade deal. Vietnam's exports to
the United States leaped by 90 percent in 2002-2003, and were worth US$4.6
billion.
However, tensions
have risen over a number of recent trade spats, with Vietnam accusing the United
States of protectionism.
Shiner played down
the recent tariffs levied by the U.S. Department of Commerce against Vietnam's
shrimp and catfish industries for allegedly undercutting the market, saying they
were part of the ups and downs of a normal trade relationship.
"The deeper the trade
relationship, the more often you have difficulties arising from that," she said.
"What needs to be looked at is overall trade vitality."
U.S. Embassy Press Release on Ambassador
Shiner's Visit (July 24)
Other Related
Articles on Ambassador Shiner's Visit:
U.S. Says It Will Support Vietnam's WTO Bid
(AFP, July 25)
U.S. Trade Official Supports Vietnam's WTO
Bid (Channel
News Asia, July 25)
U.S. Works with Vietnam on WTO Entry
(Thanh Nien, July 24)
Other
Updates on Vietnam's WTO Accession
|
