Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh on March 18 signed the decision to extend the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probe into Thai sugar products until May 21.

In September last year, the ministry launched an investigation into the evasion of trade remedies for sugar products originating from Thailand following requests from domestic sugar producers, as Thai sugar products subject to anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties entered the Vietnamese market through five ASEAN countries–Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

Earlier in mid-June 2021, the ministry imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on several sugar products imported from Thailand.

Meanwhile, data from the local customs agencies indicated that after Vietnam began an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probe into sugar products originating from Thailand between October 2020 and June 2021, the volume of sugar imported from the five ASEAN countries had surged against that of the previous nine-month period, from 107,600 tons to 527,200 tons.

The import of sugar products from Thailand, however, dropped by nearly 38%, from 955,500 tons to 595,000 tons during the period.

The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam under the ministry said that due to the surge in sugar imports from the five countries, the authority quickly cooperated with other relevant units, the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association and many domestic sugar producers to collect information and data and make a petition to request an investigation into the evasion of trade remedies of Thai sugar.

Some evidence showing Thai sugar’s evasion of trade remedies has been provided, according to the authority.

In line with the prevailing regulations, after launching a probe, the ministry will send a list of investigative questions to the relevant parties to collect information for analysis and assessment and clarify the accusation.

Source: Saigon Times