Viet Nam does not import cheap chickens at $0.9 a kilogramme from the US, according to the General Department of Customs. — Photo cafebiz.vn

HA NOI (VNS) — The General Department of Customs said late last week no chicken has been imported from the US at the low price of VND12,000 (US$0.58) per kilo.

This announcement came following accusations by the Viet Nam Poultry Association heard at a conference last week.

Charges were aired that inexpensive chicken was imported due to trade fraud, citing findings that the lowest price of chicken legs shipped to Viet Nam was $0.9 per kilo. The association also said that the General Department of Customs refused to name the importers of US chicken legs, as requested by the association.

In response, one day later, the General Department of Customs disclosed statistics detailing how, during the first six months of this year, there were 82 importers of chicken, who imported 70,000 tonnes, worth $63.7 million.

Viet Nam mainly imports chicken from the US, Brazil and Korea, with chicken imports from the US valued at $39.1 million.

The average pre-tax price for imported chicken was $0.91, or VND19,600 per kilo. There were no chickens imported from the US at VND12,000 per kilo, the customs general department said.

The department also said that the figures were sent to the Viet Nam Competition Agency, as part of their continuing investigation of suspected dumping of inexpensive US chicken in Viet Nam.

Early in August, the US was accused of dumping cheap chicken legs into Viet Nam by livestock associations in Dong Nai Province and the southeast region.

In response, the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council denied the claim, saying that US chicken sold in Viet Nam at the same, or higher prices, than in the US.

The Government of Viet Nam, however, has required a thorough investigation to be carried out, in line with its international commitments.

This case rang an alarm about the vulnerability of the domestic husbandry industry amid the country's rapid international integration.

Experts pointed out that small-scale production would make the domestic husbandry industry less competitive, given the anticipated rising competition from imported products due to Viet Nam's enacting free trade agreements, especially the Trans-Pacific Partnership. — VNS