Vietnam urges stricter controls on origin of goods after tariff shock

Hanoi: Vietnam s trade ministry has ordered authorities to tighten control over the origin of goods to avoid sanctions by trading partners in the wake...

Hanoi: Vietnam's trade ministry has ordered authorities to tighten control over the origin of goods to avoid sanctions by trading partners in the wake of threatened US tariffs, according to a document seen by AFP on Tuesday.

A document by the ministry dated April 15 said escalating trade tension meant Vietnam was increasingly exposed to trans-shipment fraud.

Less than two weeks earlier, US President Donald Trump had threatened massive 46 percent levies on Vietnam, with Washington accusing the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs.

In the document, the ministry called for stricter controls to avoid "sanctions that countries may apply on goods imported to their countries".

"Uniform and determined measures are required... to stop and prevent fraud in the origin of goods... especially illegal imported raw materials and goods without origin for the production of goods for export," it added, without naming China.