Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi May 17 (VNA)- Viet Nam's Trade Minister Vu Khoan has asked the United States to cancel an absurd regulation that harmfully limits Viet Nam's trading activities and constitutes an impediment to the implementation of the Viet Nam - US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

Mr. Khoan, in response to the U.S. Congress's recent adoption of Act HR 2646, in support of agricultural development, and its ratification by the US President, described the Act's article relating to Viet Nam's trademark "basa" catfish as a severe violation of the BTA.

"The article causes losses to Vietnamese farmers and enterprises as well, and creates barriers to the two countries' trading exchange," Mr. Khoan said in his note urgently addressed to American Secretary of Commerce D. Evans and Trade Representative R. Zoelick.

Earlier, in his letter dated April 17, 2002 to Trade Minister Vu Khoan, the American Secretary of Commerce stated that the draft Act HR 2646 would not ban the import of seafood from Viet Nam, and promised to cooperate closely with the Vietnamese side to resolve all problems arising during the trade expanding process between the two countries.-Enditem

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Ha Noi, May 16 (VNA) -- Viet Nam demands the U.S. government take appropriate measures to address difficulties that might be caused to Viet Nam by a recent U.S. Congressional act.

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Van Bang met with U.S. Ambassador to Viet Nam Raymond R. Burghardt in Ha Noi today, May 16, voicing opposition to the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 2002 which bans the import of fish labelled as "catfish" unless they are of the species "Ictaluriidae".

"The act will certainly cause difficulties for Viet Nam in exporting its catfish to the U.S. market," Bang underscored.

The Deputy FM described the act, which was passed by the U.S Congress last year and ratified by the U.S President on May 13, as inconsistent with the Viet Nam-U.S Bilateral Trade Agreement which took effect last December.

He added, the act "runs counter to international practices and the U.S. trade liberalisation policy."

For his part, Ambassador Burghardt promised to report Viet Nam's position to the U.S. government. He expressed his hope that the two countries would find a proper solution to secure Viet Nam's catfish exports to the U.S. market.--Enditem