The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has formed a dispute panel to settle Viet Nam’s complaint against the anti-dumping measures put in place by the United States on Vietnamese fish fillets.

The decision was made after Viet Nam filed the second request at a closed-door meeting of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body in February, according to Reuters.

The request was in line with WTO regulations and its details remain unavailable for now.

Viet Nam filed its first complaint to the WTO in January 2018, asking for the WTO’s interference in some regulations and policies regarding anti-dumping measures on the country’s fish fillet exports to the US.

The US Department of Commerce imposed anti-dumping measures on Vietnamese fish fillet companies in March 2018.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Viet Nam’s total seafood export value increased by a yearly rate of 12.3 per cent to reach nearly US$4 billion in the first half of 2018.

Of the total figure, tra fish exports rose nearly 33 per cent year on year to $200 million in June. June figures helped raise the value of tra fish exports in the first six months up 21 per cent year on year to nearly $1 billion.

According to VASEP, exports of tra fish to the EU market have declined while demands in other markets such as the US and China have gotten stronger. — VNS