Vietnam Overseas

Digital security provider Gemalto is providing Vietnam’s largest bank with a two-factor authentication solution that utilizes MasterCard’s Chip Authentication Program and Visa’s Dynamic Passcode Authentication (DPA), both which are part of the EMV standard.

Working with EMV microprocessor cards, the system provides one-time-password and digital signature capabilities for Hanoi-based Foreign Trade of Vietnam, also known as Vietcombank. EMV credit card holders can use the same card to pay for purchases, gain access to their online banking services and be identified by the bank for branch-based transactions.

Users only need to insert their corporate cards into a custom designed handheld card reader to generate a one-time password for secure access to their online banking services. Or, they can perform secure fund transfers using digital signatures. All the functionality resides in the credit card and since cardholders usually carry it with them they can use any reader to access their services.

Vietcombank is the first financial institution in Asia to deploy this technology for securing online banking services.

In October 2003, President Bush announced his intent to enter into FTA negotiations with Thailand, reaffirming his commitment under the Enterprise for ASEAN Initiative (EAI) to strengthen trade ties with countries in the ASEAN region that are actively pursuing economic reforms. During two rounds of FTA negotiations between the United States and Thailand in 2004 and four rounds in 2005, good progress was made on the text of all chapters of the FTA, although significant work continues.

An agreement with Thailand, which is currently the United States’ 20th largest trading partner, would significantly increase trade in goods and services, create more commercial opportunities for U.S. exporters, particularly agricultural product exporters, and reduce or eliminate barriers in many sectors. In addition, a United States-Thailand FTA would enhance investment flows by ensuring a stable and predictable environment for investors, and improve the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. An FTA also would strengthen longstanding economic and security ties between our countries.

Fact sheet on Vietnamese Catfish

July 26, 2001 - VN/US relations

1. Varieties of Vietnamese Catfish are grown mostly in the aquaculture farms along the famous Mekong River in the Southern part of Vietnam. For years Vietnam has been conducting a program of monitoring of possible harmful substances in Basa Boucorti and Basa Catfish aquaculture in Vietnam. The program has been accepted by both EU and US FDA. In November 2000, a delegation of catfish farmers and processors of CFA and Auburn University’s International Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic Environment, lead by CFA’ Chairman Gvillo Curtis were presented about this program and the results. Recently, in June 2001, Mr. Henry Schmick, Agriculture Attaché of US Embassy in Hanoi, visited the fish farms and processing facilities in Vietnam and witnessed the controlling of farming environment and residues in the meat of Vietnamese farm-raised catfish.

2. Export of seafood in general and catfish in particular from Vietnam to the US market is subject to the control by US FDA under HACCP program and constantly checked at US points of entery. Vietnam catfish export into US market started from 1995 and in the year 2000 is valued at US$ 10.7 million (according to US ITC Statistics. Thus Vietnam’s share of the US Catfish market is about 2% –not 10% as sometimes misstated.

3. Furthermore, the Government regulation requires that all packages of exported catfish products shall be labeled with the phrase “Product of Vietnam” or “Made in Vietnam”. The measures were informed to the US Embassy in Hanoi in an official letter of Ministry of Fishery of Vietnam dated July 16, 2001.Mr. Nguyen Van Kich, Director of Cafatex, the main Vietnamese exporter of catfish to the US, argued that all fish products from Vietnam are in fact labeled “Product of Vietnam”

4. The Vietnamese Government has recently issued new regulations requiring labeling commercial names for Vietnamese catfish. These names follow the guidelines U.S. FDA guidelines for Latin species type with the common name of catfish. Additionally some US importers use their own brand name of “Basa Mekong” for Vietnamese Catfish. Mr. Kich added that, while opposed by the CFA, the import of Vietnamese Catfish is being supported by the American Cattle Food Society because they are of high quality and­ well priced catfish, thus, it benefits American consumers.

5. The introduction of “Country-of-Origin Labeling Bill” (H.R.2439) for farm-raised fish appears to be an attempt to raise additional barrier to trade with Vietnam and serves as unnecessary burdensome for US businesses. This measure, if adopted, appears inconsistent with the WTO standards and the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement.

Vietnamese catfish farmers, importers and Government look forward to working with U.S. producers, consumers, farmers and Government to resolve any outstanding issues./.

Department of Justice
Environment and Natural Resources Division
- Environmental Crimes Section.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2008

WASHINGTON — True World Foods Chicago, LLC, was sentenced on March 11, 2008, to pay $60,000 for its role in purchasing and re-selling falsely labeled frozen fish fillets in violation of the Lacey Act, the Justice Department announced today. The Lacey Act prohibits, among other things, the receipt, acquisition or purchase of fish that was taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of U.S. laws or regulations.

The corporation further forfeited $197,930, the purchase value of the fish, and agreed under a plea agreement entered on Dec. 10, 2007, to publish a full page advertisement regarding this incident in a seafood industry publication of wide circulation.

True World Foods Chicago, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of True World Foods, LLC, a Delaware corporation, of which the sole shareholder is True World Holdings LLC, a Virginia corporation. True World Foods Chicago, LLC, admitted in its plea agreement that between Nov. 24, 2004, and May 5, 2005, it bought and received from two other corporations, in a series of six transactions, approximately $197,930 of fish commonly known as basa or Vietnamese catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus).

The fish had been imported from Vietnam by one of the other corporations falsely labeled as sole in violation of U.S. laws prohibiting the making or submission of a false label for fish, and prohibiting the entry of merchandise by payment of less than the amount of duty legally due. There is an anti-dumping duty applicable to the fish in question of 63.88 percent.

Former True World Foods Chicago employee David S. Wong previously pleaded guilty for his part in purchasing and re-selling the frozen fillets of the fish Pangasius hypophthalmus.

An anti-dumping duty was placed on Pangasius hypophthalmus imports from Vietnam on Jan. 31, 2003, after a petition was filed by the catfish farmers of America alleging that this fish was being sold in the United States at less than fair market value. According to the indictment in this case, between July 2004 and June 2005, two Virginia-based companies, Virginia Star Seafood Corporation and International Sea Products Corporation, illegally imported from Vietnamese companies Binh Dinh, Antesco and Anhaco, more than 10 million pounds of Vietnamese catfish by identifying the fish to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials as other species of fish, including but not limited to sole, grouper, flounder and conger pike.

The indictment further alleged that, after the Vietnamese catfish was imported into the United States, Henry Nguyen and other salesman for the Virginia companies marketed and sold the illegally imported catfish to seafood buyers including Henry Yip of T.P. Company, David Wong of True World Foods, Inc., and David Chu of Dakon International. Yip entered a guilty plea to a misbranding violation, and T.P. Company entered a guilty plea to trafficking in illegally imported merchandise, on Nov. 28, 2007. David Wong entered a guilty plea to two misdemeanor violations of the Lacey Act on Jan. 14, 2008. In related cases, Agar Supply Co., Inc. entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act on Nov. 28, 2007.

The case was investigated by special agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Food and Drug Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Johns for the Central District of California and Senior Trial Attorney Elinor Colbourn of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division are prosecuting the case.