This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 HANOI 000688 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR E, EB AND EAP/BCLTV 
STATE ALSO PASS USTR HUNTSMAN/BRYAN 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID FOR ANE/DEL MCCLUSKY 
USDOC FOR 4430/MAC/AP/OPB/VLC/HPPHO 
USDOC PASS USPTO FOR NESS 
USDA FOR FAS/ITP/SHEIKH AND HUYNH 
BANGKOK ALSO FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD EINV ECON KIPR KTEX PREL VM
SUBJECT: Vietnam: Second Annual BTA Joint Committee 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PLEASE PROTECT 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary and Introduction: DUSTR Jon Huntsman led 
the U.S. delegation and Vice Minister of Trade Luong Van Tu 
headed the GVN side at the plenary session of the second 
annual meeting of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) Joint 
Committee in Hanoi March 10. Expert level sessions led by 
Elena Bryan, USTR Senior Director for Southeast Asia and the 
Pacific, and Nguyen Thu Do, Deputy Director, Office of the 
Government for the GVN were held March 4-5.  Other USG 
participants in the Joint Committee meetings included 
Ambassador, EconCouns, USPTO, DOC, US Customs, and Emboffs. 
The GVN participants included representatives from the 
Ministries of Finance, Planning and Investment, Trade, 
Fisheries, Culture and Information and Justice.  The U.S. 
side emphasized that it had fully implemented all of its BTA 
obligations upon entry-into-force of the agreement.  The 
GVN, while acknowledging shortcomings in implementing some 
obligations, pointed out it has made significant progress in 
implementing its BTA obligations and frequently cited its 
ongoing cooperation with USG technical assistance providers. 
The U.S. side focused on issues related to GVN 
implementation of BTA commitments on transparency, 
intellectual property rights (IPR), market access for 
services, investment, and trade in goods.  The GVN focused 
on issues related to business facilitation, trademark 
applications, anti-dumping, textiles and sanitary and phyto- 
sanitary (SPS) measures.  This cable summarizes the Joint 
Committee's review of BTA implementation chapter by chapter. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
Chapter I:  Trade in Goods 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) SPS:  The GVN delegation noted the continued 
interest in working with USG technical assistance providers 
to learn how to implement the SPS provisions in the BTA. 
The GVN also expressed an interest in discussing a bilateral 
protocol on SPS.  The U.S. delegation noted that SPS is an 
important area both in terms of BTA implementation as well 
as WTO accession. 
 
¶4. (SBU) CUSTOMS VALUATION:  The U.S. side emphasized that 
customs valuation is a key BTA obligation and strongly urged 
the GVN to begin working now to have all the necessary 
legislation (including implementing legislation) in place to 
begin applying transaction value by the end of 2003.  The 
GVN stated it would start to implement this obligation 
toward the end of 2003, but admitted it did not know how 
long it would take to implement.  The GVN also said it had 
instructed Vietnam's Customs authority to be prepared to 
meet this obligation and asserted that the GVN would be 
ready to begin using transaction value by the end of 2003, 
as obligated under the BTA. 
 
¶5. (SBU) TARIFFS:  The U.S. delegation raised concerns about 
a lack of transparency regarding tariff rates.  The lack of 
an applied tariff schedule creates uncertainty for U.S. 
traders and many have complained to the USG that Vietnam's 
tariff rates change with little or no notice.  The GVN 
responded that it is policy to provide 30 days notice of 
tariff rate changes (excluding petroleum tariffs), but noted 
that problems with customs classification and inspections 
have made it difficult to ensure that 30 days notice is 
always given.  The GVN also advised the best way to 
determine a specific tariff rate in Vietnam is to check with 
customs officials at the port of entry.  The GVN added that 
whenever tariff rates are changed, the GVN publishes the new 
rates in newspapers and an official digest.  The U.S. side 
responded that the GVN needs to be more transparent about 
tariff rates and advised the GVN to put the applied rates on 
a website traders could refer to easily. 
 
Chapter II: Intellectual Property Rights 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) LEGISLATION:  The GVN noted it had passed and 
amended various IP-related legislation in 2002 including 
legislation related to copyright royalties, plant variety 
registration, copyright for architectural works, layout 
designs and integrated circuits.  In addition, the GVN 
described activities it had undertaken to increase public 
and official awareness of IPR issues including training, 
seminars, and workshops. 
 
¶7. (SBU) ENFORCEMENT:  The U.S. delegation emphasized that 
IPR is a very important issue to the U.S. and the USG places 
a lot of emphasis on effective enforcement.  IP enforcement 
is also critical not only to attracting and retaining 
investment, but also to facilitating development of IT, arts 
and other sectors.  The U.S. side asserted that Vietnam 
should have the capacity for strong enforcement of IPR given 
that the GVN is already very effective at keeping 
"culturally offensive" items out of stores.  The U.S. side 
noted that raids on stores selling pirated Microsoft goods 
in 2002 were a good start, but these raids also clearly 
demonstrated weaknesses in Vietnamese enforcement tactics as 
only a few stores were targeted, not all materials were 
confiscated, and the stores quickly re-opened and resumed 
selling pirated goods.  The U.S. delegation also highlighted 
that in other countries IPR crime is often linked to illicit 
trafficking of drugs and weapons.  Thus, as other countries 
in the region improve their legislation and enforcement 
activities, Vietnam may find these criminals moving to 
Vietnam because they believe it is relatively easier to 
function there.  The U.S. delegation also noted that other 
countries have found it useful to form a committee composed 
of representatives of the various ministries responsible for 
IP enforcement to oversee enforcement efforts. 
¶8. (SBU) TRADEMARK REGISTRATION IN THE U.S.:  The U.S. 
delegation briefed the GVN on the procedures for registering 
trademarks in the U.S., including providing information on 
the procedures for dealing with competing applications for 
the same trademark.  The U.S. side offered to organize a 
video teleconference for GVN officials with the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office as well as training on how to access 
and use the USPTO website.  The GVN asked questions about 
"cyber-squatting" and the costs associated with registering 
a trademark in the U.S. 
 
Chapter III: Services 
--------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) FINANCIAL SERVICES:  The U.S. side noted that the 
GVN has not fulfilled a BTA obligation (Annex G, Part 6, 
item E) to allow U.S. bank branches to accept deposits from 
Vietnamese "natural persons" in a ratio of 100 percent of 
paid-in-capital.  The GVN responded that it would raise the 
issue with the State Bank. 
 
¶10. (SBU) DECREE ON LAWYERS:  The GVN informed the U.S. side 
that the GVN expects to submit the draft Decree on Lawyers 
to the National Assembly in June 2003.  The U.S. noted our 
concern that the last draft provided had included a non-BTA 
compliant provision that would prohibit Vietnamese lawyers 
hired by a foreign law firms from arguing cases in court, 
thus in effect disenfranchising Vietnamese lawyers who work 
for foreigners.  The GVN informed the U.S. that, in response 
to concerns raised by the U.S. and foreign lawyers, this 
earlier provision had in fact been removed from the final 
draft.  In addition, the GVN, in cooperation with U.S. 
technical assistance providers, has been providing training 
and information to legal officers in Hanoi as well as in the 
provinces. 
 
Chapter IV: Investment 
---------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) IMPROVEMENTS TO INVESTMENT REGIME:  The GVN cited 
numerous changes it has made to fulfill its obligations 
under the Investment chapter of the BTA.  These included: 
phasing out regulations on foreign exchange 5 years earlier 
than required; authorizing land use rights for credit 
institution joint ventures three years earlier than 
required; taking steps toward unifying dual pricing for 
water, electricity and transportation; and allowing 100 
percent U.S.-owned insurance companies to operate.  (Note: 
only one U.S. insurance company has been granted a license 
to operate, three other applications from U.S. firms are 
pending approval.)  The GVN also noted that a new decree 
allowing foreign joint ventures to be joint stock companies 
would be promulgated soon.  The GVN said that it planned to 
unify foreign and domestic investment laws.  In the interim, 
the GVN had submitted amendments to Decree 24 (guidelines on 
permissible foreign investment) to address shortcomings in 
current foreign investment law, although, the GVN admitted, 
the changes in Decree 24 are not "fully satisfactory" to 
meet BTA obligations (e.g. do not address board of directors 
and exchange of shares issues). 
 
¶12. (SBU) FORD/GM AND AUTO TARIFFS:  The U.S. side argued 
that a draft Ministry of Finance decision to raise import 
duties on auto parts and increase the special consumption 
tax on domestically produced autos will make it difficult 
for the 11 major auto manufacturers currently in Vietnam to 
remain in the market.  The U.S. delegation urged the GVN to 
continue its dialogue with representatives of the auto 
sector to find a way forward that works for both sides.  It 
emphasized that the outcome of the auto issue will be an 
early example of how well the U.S.-Vietnam commercial 
relationship will progress. The U.S. side also noted that 
the MOF decision raises questions about the GVN's 
"preservation of investor rights" and TRIMs obligations 
under the BTA and could negatively impact Vietnam's WTO 
accession.  The GVN responded that it had consulted with the 
auto producers and that it would be difficult to find a 
solution that will satisfy all parties. 
 
¶13. (SBU) MCCULLAGH/KRONG ANA:  The U.S. side noted the case 
where a U.S. company (McCullagh) had the approval of the 
Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) to buy out its 
local partner but was being obstructed by the provincial 
government.  The U.S. side thanked MPI for its efforts to 
resolve this case over the past year and urged MPI to submit 
the case to a higher authority for resolution.  The U.S. 
side noted that although the U.S. investor in this case had 
lost faith in the provincial government, it had not yet lost 
confidence in the ability of the central government to 
resolve the case.  The U.S. side also emphasized that the 
central government bears full responsibility for ensuring 
the BTA is implemented - even at the provincial level.  The 
GVN noted that the Prime Minister had just sent a dispatch 
to the Dak Lak provincial authorities asking them to resolve 
the issue. 
 
¶14. (SBU) ENFORCEMENT OF ARBITRAL AWARDS/TYCO:  The U.S. 
side complemented the landmark decision of the Economic 
Court in HCMC to enforce an arbitral award for a U.S. 
company (Tyco) and noted that this action had been viewed 
widely by the international community as a very important 
event in Vietnam.  However, the Supreme Court's subsequent 
decision to overturn the Economic Court's decision may lead 
U.S. investors to question whether or not they will be able 
seek protection under the BTA and the New York Convention. 
The U.S. side expressed hope that upon higher review of the 
case, Tyco will be treated fairly and in a transparent 
manner.  The U.S. side also offered to provide additional 
training for judicial officials on arbitration procedures. 
The GVN said it would appoint staff to watch the case but 
noted that, as in the U.S., judicial decisions are subject 
to Vietnamese law and the GVN cannot override them. 
 
¶15. (SBU) DECISION 718/TRIMS:  The U.S. noted that at the 
first BTA Joint Committee, we had raised the issue of the 
December 2001 Decision 718 which increased the number of 
sectors where foreign investments are subject to export 
requirements and noted this decision contradicted BTA TRIMs 
obligations.  The U.S expressed its pleasure that no U.S. 
firm had reported that the GVN had tried to apply this 
decision, but noted it was still on the books without any 
clarification that it did not apply to U.S. companies per 
the BTA.  The GVN agreed to provide clarification in writing 
to the Embassy that the export requirements put in place in 
December 2001 (under Decision 718) in sectors not explicitly 
included in Vietnam's national treatment exceptions under 
the BTA would not apply to U.S. companies. 
 
Chapter V:  Business Facilitation 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶16. (SBU) VISAS:  The GVN argued that since September 11, 
2001 it has become more difficult for Vietnamese in general 
and Vietnamese enterprises in particular to get visas to do 
business in the U.S.  While acknowledging U.S. security 
concerns, the GVN emphasized that new visa procedures make 
it difficult for Vietnamese enterprises to take advantage of 
opportunities created by the BTA.  The GVN specifically 
cited long waiting periods, last-minute notifications and 
vague reasons for refusal.  The Vietnamese side noted that 
its embassy in Washington was making efforts to facilitate 
business travel to Vietnam and usually issued business visas 
within 24-48 hours.  The U.S. side agreed that this was a 
serious issue, noted that the new rules applied to all 
countries, not just Vietnam, said the Embassy facilitates 
visa issuances in accordance with U.S. law and noted that 
issuance of business visas in Hanoi and HCMC has actually 
increased 35-40 percent in 2002.  The U.S. side also noted 
that in 2002 only 30 cases in HCMC and 27 cases in Hanoi 
were seriously delayed because of the clearance process. 
 
Chapter VI:  Transparency 
------------------------- 
 
¶17. (SBU) REVISED LAW ON LAWS:  The U.S. side noted that the 
revised Law on the Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents 
("Law on Laws") does not define official letters, 
instructions or guidelines as legal normative documents and 
asked whether the GVN planned to make these kinds of 
documents public as required under the BTA's transparency 
obligations.  The GVN responded that although the revised 
Law on Laws was the result of cooperation between the GVN 
and Vietnamese and international legal experts, both U.S. 
and Vietnamese experts were not yet satisfied with the law. 
The GVN is working with the U.S. Support for Trade 
AcceleRation (STAR) project to identify shortcomings in the 
revised law and to introduce provincial-level versions of 
the Law on Laws.  The Vietnamese side noted that introducing 
transparency is a "process" that takes time and needs to be 
done step by step to ensure Vietnamese law is in compliance 
with international practices. 
 
¶18. (SBU) The U.S. side welcomed the positive steps taken on 
transparency but advised the GVN that Vietnam's transparency 
obligations were due upon entry-into-force of the BTA 
(December 2001) and the USG expects BTA-level treatment to 
apply to all U.S. firms and investors.  The U.S. delegation 
also noted that transparency is critical for attracting 
foreign investment.  Investors want to know what the rules 
and regulations are and be sure that they will be 
consistently applied.  The GVN responded that there had been 
changes to the way legislation is drafted.  Draft 
legislation is open for comment from the public and 
enterprises before it is submitted to the National Assembly, 
which also accepts additional comments on draft legislation. 
 
Other Issues 
------------ 
 
¶19. (SBU) "CATFISH":  The GVN noted the "catfish" situation 
has "gotten worse" since the first meeting of the BTA Joint 
Committee in 2002.  The Department of Commerce ruling that 
Vietnam is a non-market economy (NME) is unfair and the 
preliminary tariff rates (although some had been adjusted 
down) are too high.  The GVN cited several reasons why 
Vietnamese frozen fish companies are not guilty of dumping 
their product in the U.S. market:  1) Vietnamese enterprises 
are too poor to dump their product; 2) Vietnamese fish 
companies benefit from good technology and low production 
costs; 3) the price of Vietnamese catfish in the U.S. market 
is the same or higher than the price of Vietnamese catfish 
in other markets; and 4) catfish producers do not receive 
state subsidies.  The GVN urged the DOC to take a fairer 
approach to calculating the costs, particularly with respect 
to 1) ensuring the DOC takes into account all stages 
involved in the process of producing frozen fish fillets and 
2) using the retail, not wholesale price when calculating 
costs in the surrogate country.  The GVN also raised 
concerns about a potential dumping case against Vietnamese 
exports of shrimp.  The U.S. delegation noted its 
willingness to listen to GVN concerns about the catfish case 
but clarified that 1) this was not a BTA issue and 2) 
dumping investigations follow an established legal process 
and the GVN needs to continue to deal directly with ITA on 
anti-dumping issues.  Separately, the U.S. side explained 
that recent dumping decisions in neighboring countries (e.g. 
China/honey) could have an adverse impact on Vietnam if it 
becomes a transshipment location and advised the GVN to 
report any cases of suspected transshipment of goods (to 
avoid anti-dumping charges against Vietnam) to Customs via 
the Embassy in Hanoi. 
 
¶20. (SBU) CHLORAMPHENICOL:  The GVN raised concerns that the 
U.S. (and EU) are using standards on levels of 
Chloramphenicol in seafood as a "hidden excuse" to protect 
the U.S. domestic seafood industry.  The U.S. delegation 
responded that this is a health and safety issue and the 
U.S. does not use SPS procedures to hinder trade. 
 
¶21. TEXTILES:  The GVN asked that the USG reconsider 
including extraneous issues such as labor in a bilateral 
textile agreement.  Bilateral discussion on labor issues 
should be conducted in the context of the USDOL-Ministry of 
Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) bilateral MOU on 
labor.  The GVN also argued that textile quota levels should 
be based on Vietnamese production capacity.  The GVN noted 
that it had already proposed to have the second round of 
negotiations take place in the first half of April in 
Washington and it was currently working on a counter- 
proposal on quota levels.  The U.S. side responded that 
these textile negotiations are taking place against a 
backdrop of economic difficulty for the U.S. textile 
industry.  In the last 15 months more than 50 textile 
factories have closed in the U.S. and Vietnam's textile 
exports have already surpassed other exporting countries in 
the region, like Indonesia and the Philippines.  The U.S. 
side urged the GVN to provide a counter proposal to USTR 
quickly.  The U.S. side also noted that the proposed labor 
language in the draft textile agreement is a positive 
affirmation of Vietnam's commitment to progress on labor 
issues and will reassure importers that Vietnamese factories 
will respect minimum labor standards. 
 
¶22. (SBU) WTO ACCESSION:  The U.S. side noted that 
implementation of the BTA provides a solid foundation for 
Vietnam's WTO accession.  The pace of accession is up to the 
GVN but the U.S. is willing to help in any way it can.  The 
U.S. side encouraged the GVN to work with WTO members and 
respond quickly to questions. 
 
¶23. (SBU) DISPUTE SETTLEMENT:  The GVN suggested 
establishing a subcommittee to handle dispute settlement as 
bilateral issues arise.  The U.S. side responded that 
"dispute settlement" has a very specific legal meaning in 
the WTO context that is not appropriate for bilateral 
commercial disputes.  In addition, aside from a provision 
for arbitration of commercial disputes, the BTA does not 
contain a dispute settlement mechanism.  The U.S. side 
noted, however, that it is always willing to discuss issues 
of bilateral concern. 
 
MINUTES 
------- 
 
¶24. (U) The following is the official text of the minutes of 
the Joint Committee meeting. 
 
Begin Text: 
 
Joint Committee on Development of Economic and Trade 
Relations Between Vietnam and the United States 
Second Working Session Minutes 
 
Hanoi, 4-10 March 2003 
 
From 4-10 March 2003, the second working session of the 
Joint Committee on Development of Economic and Trade 
Relations between Vietnam and the United States was co- 
chaired in Hanoi by Vice Minister of Trade of Vietnam Mr. 
Luong Van Tu and Deputy United States Trade Representative 
Mr. Jon Huntsman, Jr.  A list of delegates and participants 
who represent various ministries and agencies relating to 
the implementation of the agreement is provided in the 
attached annex. 
 
The two sides reviewed the implementation process in the 
year 2002 and discussed progress and challenges of 
implementation and ways in which to address issues of mutual 
concern.  The U.S. side acknowledged Vietnam's efforts to 
comply with BTA provisions and committed to further support 
Vietnam in this process.  The U.S. side urged Vietnam to 
continue its efforts to meet the timetable for 
implementation contained in the BTA. 
 
The U.S. emphasized the importance of IPR enforcement.  The 
U.S. side was pleased to hear of Vietnam's determination to 
enforce IPR and to learn of recent enforcement actions by 
Vietnam to establish order in this area. 
 
Vietnam expressed its desire to actively start discussions 
towards a Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary trade protocol. 
 
The two sides recognized the importance of BTA 
implementation as a contribution to WTO accession.  The U.S. 
side reiterated its support for Vietnam's efforts to join 
the WTO.  The two sides looked forward to the WTO working 
party meeting in May 2003 and bilateral discussions at that 
time. 
 
The two sides reviewed the status of bilateral textile 
negotiations and expressed a desire to work together to meet 
a mutually satisfactory result. 
 
The Vietnamese side highlighted its concerns and 
frustrations with the ongoing anti-dumping investigation 
against Vietnam's exports of frozen fish fillets (tra and 
basa) to the U.S.  The U.S. side encouraged Vietnam to 
continue working with the U.S. Department of Commerce's 
Import Administration on this issue. 
 
The two sides discussed a variety of issues of concern to 
businesses in the two countries and agreed to consult on 
such matters on a regular basis in order to facilitate and 
strengthen the bilateral economic relationship.  They agreed 
to use all available channels of communication, including 
through their embassies in both capitals, to accomplish 
this. 
 
The two sides appreciated the quality discussions of the 
second working session, and strongly believed the U.S.- 
Vietnam economic and trade relations will continue to be 
strengthened on the basis of the BTA. 
 
The two sides agreed that the third working session of the 
U.S. Vietnam Joint Committee will be held in the United 
States in 2004. 
 
The U.S. side appreciated the hospitality and preparation 
made by Vietnam toward a successful working session. 
 
Signed in Hanoi, 10th MArch 2003. 
 
For the Government of Vietnam 
Luong Van Tu 
Vice Minister of Trade 
 
For the Government of the United States of America 
Jon M. Huntsman, Jr 
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative 
 
End Text. 
BURGHARDT