Hanoi (VNA) - TheMinistry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has decided to officially impose thehighest rate of anti-dumping duties on aluminium products originating from 16Chinese producers.

Accordingly, six Chinesealuminium exporters will face the highest rate of 35.58 percent, eight otherswill face rates of between 18.16 and 35.39 percent, and the remaining two will beimposed tax with a rate of less than 10 percent.

The products are used tomake aluminium doors, wattle walls, storage cabinets and interiorand exterior decorations, as well as in construction. Inaddition, they are also used to make industrial machines and structures.

In January, the MoITconducted an investigation into aluminium imports from China according toregulations from the World Trade Organisation and Foreign TradeManagement Law, as well as losses to domestic manufacturers.

It found that Chinesealuminium was dumped at a margin of 2.49 percent to 35.58 percent. In somecases, prices of Chinese products were much lower than the production cost ofthe product in Vietnam. As a result, the domestic aluminium industry hassuffered in recent years, causing losses to many businesses and forcingemployees to quit their jobs.

On June 5, after afive-month investigation, the ministry temporarily applied the lowest anti-dumpingrate of 2.46 percent on the Chinese aluminium products.

Last year, the amount ofimported aluminium extruded bars from China to Vietnam reached 62,000tonnes, double that of 2017. The figure excluded a large amountof imports to processing zones. Imports from other countries fell to5,000 tonnes in 2018.

Also in 2018, the USconducted a tax evasion investigation on some extruded aluminium productsimported from Vietnam. In mid-September, the US concluded some of them wereevading anti-dumping duties the US has imposed on Chinese products. The US thenannounced a tax rate of up to 374.15 percent for those Vietnamese products.

According to the MoIT,with some of the local products on which the US imposed anti-dumping duties,there were a number of products with the mentioned Chinese exporters.

The ministry said the USmove could seriously damage good aluminium manufacturers in Vietnam in terms ofprofitability and reputation, giving them competition with both the cheapimported products from China in the local market and earning a reputation andposition in the international market.

It thought theimposition of anti-dumping duties this time will help reduce such pressure ondomestic manufacturing enterprises as well as avoid tax-evading products fromChina.

According toregulations, anti-dumping measures will take effect within five years from the effectivedate of September 28./.