VZCZCXRO0703
PP RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHPB
DE RUEHHI #0479 1420838
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220838Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9665
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 5871
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1263
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS HANOI 000479 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS MBROWN AND EEB/TPP/MTAA APRATTIPATI 
USTR FOR EBRZYTWA AND DBISBEE 
COMMERCE FOR DPAREKH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD VM
SUBJECT:  VIETNAM "OPEN" TO PROPOSAL ON EXPORT LICENSING 
TRANSPARENCY 
 
REF: STATE 50680 ("Increasing Transparency in Export Licensing") 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY. Post delivered joint demarche with representatives 
from Japan and Chinese Taipei on May 22, 2009, drawing on Reftel 
points.  Vietnam, through an official from the Multilateral Trade 
Policy Department of the Trade and Industry Ministry, responded that 
it was "open" to the proposal but concerned about slowing down the 
Doha discussions. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) On May 22, Mission Vietnam Econoff joined economic officers 
from the Japanese Embassy and the Taipei Economic and Cultural 
Office in a meeting with Luong Hoang Thai, Deputy Director General 
of the Multilateral Trade Policy Department of Vietnam's Trade and 
Industry Ministry.  Thai was well-versed in the export licensing 
proposal which, he said, was currently under review at Vietnamese 
interagency process. 
 
¶3. (U) Thai acknowledged that the proposal would probably involve 
little additional burdens or cost, and said that Vietnam was 
supportive of setting higher standards at the WTO and, particularly, 
on increased transparency.  He added that Vietnam is "open" to the 
proposal but was not ready to make a decision.  e added H  He added 
rtgarHowever, he cautioned that Vietnam would be unlikely to support 
the proposal if it entailed prolonging the revival of Doha 
Development discussions.  "We have to choose priorities," he said, 
making it clear that revising the DDA ranked above all others.  He 
also said that there would likely be some groans from within the 
Vietnamese government over taking on more requirements, even if 
procedural. 
 
¶4. (U) The Vietnamese official asked whether the proposal would be 
the first step to more stringent requirements on export licensing, 
or whether it was related to previous proposals on export taxes. 
Econoff and his Japanese and Taiwanese counterparts replied in the 
negative, explaining that the current proposal on notification was 
the only one under discussion.  Thai also asked which other 
countries supported the proposal and noted that a high level of 
support would be useful in persuading decision makers in Vietnam. 
He asked for that information and any additional materials that 
would help promote the proposal. 
 
MICHALAK