Vietnam is not a certified meat-exporting nation to the US , but an exception may apply to products with small amounts of meat and poultry produced in the country, says Mark Oakley, an attorney with the US-based law firm Duane Morris.

"The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the public health agency in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) can exempt certain foods with small amounts of meat and poultry from its inspection or grant a specific authorization for those products which comply with certain minimum standards," he said at a workshop held yesterday in HCM City on Nov. 8..

FDA registration and prior-notice regulation and requirements to export agricultural, fish and fishery products into the US were among topics under discussion at the workshop that focused on legal issues in doing business with the US .

The workshop was organised by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade).

The laws and regulations affecting the conduct of business in the US and forms of doing business in the US were also discussed by attorneys and local enterprises.

"An important initial choice facing a person wishing to do business in the US is the form of business entity through which to conduct US operations," said Attorney Douglas Woloshin.

He explained the advantages and disadvantages of each form of doing business, including sole proprietorship, general partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, corporation and limited liability company.

"The form of entity most commonly chosen by non-US businesses is the corporation, since, among other things, the corporate form provides protection for its owners against liabilities incurred in the business," he said.

"A corporation can be organised quickly and relatively inexpensively," he said, adding that the disadvantage of doing business in corporate form is that the formal record-keeping and reporting requirements make corporations more expensive to administer than some other forms of business entity.

Woloshin also explained the laws, regulations and process of purchasing and leasing real estate in the US to Vietnamese traders.

Oral agreements to buy, sell and lease real estate or property are not enforceable in the US , he said.

Bui Thi Thanh An of Vietrade said the workshop aimed to improve knowledge and understanding on legal issues involved in trading and investing in the US .

Non-tariff barriers, real estate investment, commercial disputes and intellectual property are among the important legal issues facing Vietnamese enterprises in doing business with the US , An said./.