Vietnam aims to be free of single-use plastic by 2025

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang.

On July 25, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hang answered a reporter's question asking about Vietnam's viewpoint on cooperation between ASEAN countries in combating plastic waste in the ocean.

Ms. Hang said that on June 22, at the 34th ASEAN Summit, leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries agreed to adopt the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Region and the ASEAN Framework for Action on Marine Debris, in which they committed to implementing specific measures to effectively respond to marine debris, including plastic waste; strengthening regional and international cooperation, State and private sector; building capacity and sharing good practices among ASEAN countries as well as mobilizing support from partners; promoting educational activities, raising awareness and community participation in this issue; promoting national and regional action programs to prevent, reduce and manage marine debris.

Vietnam considers marine debris a global urgent issue that seriously threatens the marine ecosystem and is ready to work with the regional and international community to develop mechanisms and regulations to promote cooperation in solving the problem of marine debris. Vietnam has been mobilizing the participation of the whole society in the movement against plastic waste, with the goal of no single-use plastic products by 2025, Ms. Hang said.

At the press conference, reporters also raised questions about the handling of scrap imported from abroad into Vietnam. According to Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang, scrap imported from abroad into Vietnam must meet the regulations of the Law on Environmental Protection, be included in the list of scrap allowed to be imported from abroad as raw materials for production issued by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 73/2014/QD-TTg dated December 19, 2014, and related legal documents.

In recent times, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been issuing legal documents, in the direction of requiring higher quality of scrap.

Organizations and individuals who take advantage of scrap imports to bring waste into Vietnam will be strictly handled according to the law, including measures such as forcing re-export or destroying shipments, administrative penalties and revoking the right to use certificates of eligibility for environmental protection in importing scrap as raw materials for production, Ms. Hang replied.

Regarding the question about India's investigation into applying anti-dumping measures on Vietnamese stainless steel products, Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed: Vietnam always seriously and fully implements the commitments of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as well as the free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed.

The Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in general, and economic and trade relations in particular, are developing well. Trade issues between the two countries need to be considered objectively and fairly, in accordance with the regulations of the World Trade Organization, bilateral and multilateral trade agreements that the two countries participate in, ensuring the legitimate interests of businesses and consumers of the two countries, Ms. Hang stated.