After completing a six-month review of Vietnam apparel import data, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) says there is no reason to self-initiate an anti-dumping case against Vietnam, triggering a call from importers to drop the monitoring program.

As a condition for the US Congress to support Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization, Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Guitierrez and US Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab agreed to conduct monitoring of certain textile and apparel products from Vietnam. The second in a series of six-month reviews was completed last week.

Commerce Assistant Secretary for Import Administration David Spooner said the latest investigation reveals that prices of Vietnamese apparel are in line with, and in most cases exceed, other major suppliers, including Central America. Products covered in the survey included trousers, shirts, underwear, swimwear and sweaters.

Following a review of the data, Spooner said there is insufficient evidence to self-initiate an anti-dumping investigation, but he said the monitoring program will continue until the end of the Bush administration.

Cass Johnson, president of the National Council of Textile Organizations, pretty much agreed with the DOC, saying data tracked by his organization do not show any indication of dumping products into the US market. Noting that apparel imports from Vietnam increased significantly during the latest monitoring period, Spooner said Vietnam likely is taking trade away from Bangladesh and China, and probably from some Central American countries.