US has no plan to suspend import of Vietnamese garment-textiles: ambassador

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc (Photo: VNA)

The embassy has contacted relevant US agencies to clarify the information, Ngoc told the Vietnam News Agency.

The ambassador pointed to the sound development of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership, with two-way trade reaching 77.6 billion USD in 2019, making Vietnam one of the US’s 15 biggest trade partners.

In the first two months of this year, Vietnam’s export to the US grew 25.7 percent to 10.26 billion USD, in contrast to its decreasing export values to some other markets.

Last year, Vietnam’s garment-textile export to the US was nearly 15 billion USD, making up about 45 percent of the country’s total revenue in the sector. During the January-February period, the turnover stood at 2.25 billion USD, up 5.3 percent year-on-year, and accounted for nearly 48 percent of the total.

However, if COVID-19 lasts longer than expected in the US, it will affect Vietnam’s export to the country, Ngoc warned.

He, therefore, called on businesses to keep calm and optimise opportunities to maintain production and export, while reviewing their business strategies to adapt to the new situation.

The ambassador also urged domestic firms to seriously follow the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s instructions against origin fraud and tax avoidance so as not to violate relevant regulations set by the two countries.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the US will continue to discuss with US authorities to provide the best support for Vietnamese businesses, Ngoc said, expressing his hope that once the epidemic is contained, there will be a consumption recovery, which would facilitate Vietnam’s export to foreign countries, including the US.

On this occasion, the ambassador spoke of cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 between the two countries.

The Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious Diseases under the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will inject 37 million USD to help regional countries, including Vietnam, combat the disease, he said.

The US side is also weighing the import of Vietnamese medical equipment to serve its disease combat, the ambassador added.