ASEAN members recognize Vietnam as a complete market economy and call upon their partners and other countries doing like that soon.

This statement was announced today 5th March by ministers of economy of ASEAN members at the unofficial meeting of Asean ministers of economy (AEM Retreat) in Brunei. With this recognition, Asean countries will not apply section 225 in the report of the WTO Mission Board about Vietnam’s WTO accession in commercial relations.

Especially, according to multi-lateral commitment to join WTO, Vietnam accepts to be recognized as a non- market economy for 12 years, which means no earlier than 31st December 2018. Before this deadline, however, if any partner can prove that Vietnam operates under market mechanism, it can stop applying "non-market" regime to Vietnam. "Non- market" regime only makes sense in anti-dumping cases. And WTO members do not have right to apply specific self-defence mechanism to Vietnamese exporting goods although Vietnam is considered as a non-market economy.

With this commitment, at 225 point of the report of the WTO Mission Board there have clear regulations that Vietnam must be tied up for applying anti-dumping, anti-subsidy methods in some cases related to exporting goods from Vietnam to another WTO member.

Attending at the meeting, Mr. Truong Dinh Tuyen said that ASEAN members recognize Vietnam as a complete market economy country affirms the success of Vietnam's innovation and integration. Through it, ASEAN also express its high evaluation that Vietnam has been dynamic for 12 years integrating within the area. Moreover, it is hoped that other WTO members, especially ASEAN’s partners should give a fair and appropriate view of Vietnam's improvement and soon recognize Vietnam as complete market economic.