According to the ministry, some press agencies recently cited some foreign information sources saying that 90 percent of steel exported to the US from Vietnam were made in China.
Quoting data from General Department of Vietnam Customs, the ministry said that Vietnam imported 5.5 million tons of steel products worth $3.17 billion from China in the first nine months this year.
Major import items comprise flat rolled steel alloy (HS 7225 3090, 7225 4090), galvanized steel (HS 7210 4912), flat rolled stainless steel (7219 1300), rolled steel (HS 7209 1600) and steel rods (HS 7227 2000).
During the same time, the country exported to the US 378,164 tons of steel worth $302.9 million. The most exported item was chromium galvanized steel (HS 7210 6111) with the value of $93 million, accounting for 31 percent of the total export volume to the US.
Statistics show that there are 11 steel products shipped to the US with HS codes same with products imported from China, accounting for 34 percent of the total export volume to the US. Products under the remaining HS codes are not or bought from China but the volume is little and insufficient for export.
So far the ministry has not received any information from the US about investigation over the Chinese origin steel products.
Still the ministry has been working with relevant agencies such as the General Department of Vietnam Customs and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry to keep a close eye on the situation and seriously implement regulations against goods origin and trade fraudulence.
