Hanoi (VNA) - As informed by the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the US Department of Commerce (the DOC) has officially launched an anti-dumping investigation on extruded aluminum and aluminum products imported from countries and territories, including Vietnam. According to the plaintiff, Vietnamese aluminum products account for 7.6% of the US’s total aluminum import value, ranking fourth, behind Mexico, Colombia and China (which account for 12.9%, 10.2% and 9.1%, respectively). Some 14 Vietnamese firms are currently alleged by the American plaintiff to dump product at a margin of 41.84%. This margin is lower than that of the aforementioned three steel exporting countries. As the United States lists Vietnam as a country with a non-market economy, the DOC is to use a third country as a base to calculate the dumping margin for Vietnam. Specifically, the Department selected Indonesia as the country is believed to have the same level with Vietnam. The investigation is to analyze the period from April 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023. The DOC has issued a questionnaire to alleged firms and asked them to answer by November 7, 2023 (US time) at the latest. However, the firms might ask for an extension to complete the required documentation properly if needed. The data from the US Department of Customs will form the basis for the DOC to select two to three defendants. These defendants will continue to participate in answering subsequent questionnaires in the case and be entitled to a preferential tax level. This tax level, however, can also be requested by other firms in the alleged list within 30 days of the investigation’s launch. If the requests do not come through, the firms will be subject to the tax rate decided by DOC (usually higher). The DOC is expected to issue a preliminary conclusion within 140 days from the investigation launching date (possibly extended). The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam asked local aluminum firms to stay informed of the case and study anti-dumping regulations of the US carefully, while diversifying their products and export markets. The authority also requested firms to cooperate with DOC during the case. Any uncooperative actions might lead to the US side to impose the highest anti-dumping duty to Vietnamese firms, it noted, prompting aluminum firms to create accounts on DOC’s portal IA ACCESS at . In doing so, they could update information related to the case and submit necessary documents to the US investigating body. "The firms need to regularly coordinate and update information to the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam to receive timely support," the authority further recommended./.