Trade defense facing many new challenges

Hot rolled steel coil products for export of Hoa Phat Group. *Photo: Tran Nghi*

Many new challenges

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade , by mid-2025, Vietnam had faced more than 291 trade defense cases from export markets around the world. In the first half of 2025 alone, Vietnamese export goods faced 14 newly initiated foreign trade defense cases, arising from 9 markets, of which the United States continued to be the country with the most investigations with 6 cases.

In recent years, trade defense investigations on exported goods have not only increased in number, but have also become more complicated as many countries investigate unprecedented new contents, and investigated products are increasingly diverse. These cases have caused Vietnam's export goods to face many challenges, especially the risk of losing market share in key markets, increasing legal costs and affecting the reputation of businesses. In addition, trade defense measures also force Vietnamese businesses to improve their competitiveness, improve product quality and be more transparent in production and business activities.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has initiated investigations into 59 trade defense cases against imported goods into the Vietnamese market and has 31 trade defense measures currently in effect. These measures have brought practical benefits, protecting and facilitating the formation and development of a number of basic industries, construction industries, and consumer industries such as metallurgy, chemicals, construction materials, and agricultural processing.

Deputy Director of the Trade Defense Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) Chu Thang Trung assessed that the annual revenue scale of Vietnamese enterprises protected by trade defense measures is estimated at nearly VND500,000 billion with over 36,000 direct workers and hundreds of thousands of indirect workers, ensuring economic security and social security in provinces and cities across the country.

Building active and effective defense capacity

Last August, Hoa Phat Group announced that its hot-rolled steel coils exported to India were not subject to anti-dumping tax, as the dumping margin was in the range of 0-10%. This success was due to Hoa Phat optimizing production costs, improving quality according to international standards, making its accounting system transparent, and cooperating closely with Indian investigation agencies. Previously, some Vietnamese steel products, including those of the group, were subject to anti-dumping investigations by India. This positive result reflects the internal capacity, international legal experience, and maturity of Vietnamese enterprises, helping Hoa Phat consolidate its competitive advantage and overcome trade barriers in the Indian market.

Secretary General of the Vietnam Steel Association Dinh Quoc Thai said that after a period of facing many trade defense investigations, the association and steel enterprises have gradually professionalized, meeting the requirements of the investigation agencies of other countries. With careful preparation from within the enterprises, many cases have achieved remarkable results. "However, the results of trade defense work depend largely on the close coordination between relevant parties, including enterprises, industry associations, state agencies, and Vietnamese trade offices abroad," said Mr. Dinh Quoc Thai.

Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Aluminum Profile Association Vu Van Phu shared that the aluminum industry has stepped up propaganda to businesses about the trend of protecting domestic production in export markets and recommended that businesses proactively equip themselves with knowledge of trade defense and have many solutions to protect their industries and businesses.

Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Defense (Ministry of Industry and Trade) Chu Thang Trung emphasized that Vietnamese enterprises are increasingly improving their legal capacity, quality and transparency in production and business. Regularly updating regulations and trade policies of markets is a key factor to reduce risks and avoid violations. Enterprises need to build a team of legal and trade experts to analyze, evaluate and develop appropriate response strategies. At the same time, strengthen international cooperation, join industry associations, and take advantage of free trade agreements to expand markets. In addition, investing in technology and digitizing production and business processes will help optimize costs, improve efficiency and meet customer needs. Building a strong brand, associated with transparency and long-term commitment will help enterprises not only maintain market share but also reach further in the international market.

In the coming time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will strengthen research and forecasting of global trade trends to identify risks early; promote training of officials on trade defense skills; build a modern database, integrate information from other countries and promote international cooperation to improve response capacity. The Ministry also focuses on disseminating knowledge to businesses, helping them proactively protect their legitimate rights. These solutions aim to strengthen internal strength, ensuring that Vietnam maintains its position in the context of deep integration.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/phong-ve-thuong-mai-truoc-nhieu-thach-thuc-moi-716007.html