Has the status of Vietnam's honey exports to the United States changed since the anti-dumping tariff was changed?

DNHN - The honey business in Vietnam is actively working to maintain exports to the US market after the US drastically reduced its anti-dumping duty after the settlement of the trade dispute. Because of this tariff, however, Vietnamese honey has a hard time competing with imports from other nations.

The anti-dumping tax (CBPG) on Vietnamese honey products was drastically reduced by the US Department of Commerce (DOC) in early April, from 410.93 per cent to 413.99 per cent in the preliminary finding to 58.74 per cent to 61.27 per cent.

Compared to honey from many other nations that also export to the US, Vietnamese honey is at a competitive disadvantage due to this tax rate.

Contrast this with Vietnam, where the anti-dumping duty ranges from 58.74 per cent to 61.27 per cent, and you can see why India gets far more lenient treatment from the United States. In light of these tariffs, the price of Vietnamese honey in the US market is much higher than that of Indian honey.

Mr Dinh Quyet Tam, Chairman of the Vietnam Beekeeping Association, pointed out that the US tax imposition is not truly fair for Vietnamese beekeepers, and he underlined the need of fighting for the DOC side to make calculations more equitable. This figure isn't good enough for American importers.

It's not just the Vietnamese honey business that will suffer from the present taxes; the United States' producers and importers will feel the sting, too. American businesses have been longstanding partners in importing Vietnamese goods over the past three decades. 

American importers have long relied on Vietnamese commodities, and American customers are familiar with the brand. To be equitable, the rate at which Vietnam is taxed must be the same as or lower than the anti-dumping tax rate at which the United States taxes India.

Competition in the global honey business has heated up in recent years. Technical hurdles to this commodity have been raised in part because honey-importing nations have implemented trade remedies. This is a major obstacle for businesses that export honey, and it also has a significant effect on the incomes of beekeepers.

Businesses and the Vietnam Beekeeping Association have been working to alter production methods to produce goods that are acceptable in other markets, such as the European Union (EU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and others, for some time now.

We won't be able to completely alter the import market overnight, but early indicators are encouraging. Mr Tam remarked that "in the beginning, modifications were made to suit the new market by state management agencies, organizations, industries, enterprises, and even manufacturers."

State management authorities, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Beekeeping Association, and Vietnamese honey companies will continue discussions with the Government in the coming period. The United States is now taking steps (damage assessment, anti-dumping tax review, etc.) to ensure that Vietnamese honey exporters' legitimate interests are protected and that the honey sector in Vietnam is handled fairly in this matter by World Trade Organization standards.

PV