The World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel concluded its second hearing on Vietnam-filed lawsuit against the US imposition of anti-dumping measures on Vietnamese frozen shrimp, in Geneva , Switzerland , on December 15.

During the two-day hearing, the Vietnamese and American continued to present documents and arguments to defend their opinions before the panel.

The Vietnamese delegation’s evidence and arguments focused on protesting the US for using a method known as “zero-ing” on Vietnamese shrimp.

The method, which the US has used frequently in anti-dumping lawsuits, widened the anti-dumping margins as well as increased duties levels imposed on shrimp, thus causing damage to Vietnamese shrimp exporters.

The Vietnamese side also pointed to the US ’s application of the so-called “ Vietnam wide rate” in administrative periodic reviews on Vietnam ’s shrimp as against the spirit and wording of both the Antidumping Agreement and Vietnam ’s Protocol of Accession to the WTO.

According to Deputy Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the UN, WTO and other International Organisations in Geneva, Minister Counsellor Tran Thu Hang, the WTO panel will make public its final report and conclusion on the case within April, 2011.

The WTO panel will send its reports on the lawsuit to both the Vietnamese and US sides in January and February, 2011, Hang said.

The first hearing took place on Oct. 20-21.

This is the first time Vietnam has launched a trade lawsuit against another WTO member since joining the WTO in January, 2007, using the organisation’s dispute settlement methods as a tool to defend the legitimate rights for its businesses./.