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US-VIETNAM BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTCHAPTER IVANNEX H VIETNAM In accordance with the provisions in Article 2 of Chapter IV, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam reserves the right to adopt or maintain exceptions to national treatment in the following sectors and matters: 1. Vietnam may adopt or maintain exceptions to the obligation to accord national treatment to covered investments in the sectors or with respect to the matters specified below:
2. Sectors in which Vietnam may require that an investment project be in conjunction with the development of local raw material sources:
Such requirements for the development of local raw material sources in the above sectors may be maintained for up to 5 years from the entry into force of this Agreement. 3. Sectors in which Vietnam may require that an investment project export at least 80% of products:
Such requirements for exporting at least 80% of products in the above sectors may be maintained for up to 7 years from the entry into force of this Agreement. 4. Except as otherwise provided in this Paragraph (including sub-paragraphs 4.1-4.6), the following exceptions to national treatment shall be applied to a covered investment of a national or company of the United States in all sectors, including but not limited to those sectors listed in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of this Annex: 4.1 Requirements on investment capital: (a) After the entry into force of this Agreement, nationals or companies of the United States shall be allowed to contribute, increase and reinvest capital in any currency, including Vietnamese currency originating from any lawful activity in Vietnam. (b) The following requirements may be maintained for up to 3 years from the entry into force of this Agreement:
(c) Nationals and companies of the United States shall not be permitted to acquire more than 30% of the shares of an equitized State enterprise. 4.2 Organization and management of joint ventures: Vietnam may maintain the following requirements for up to 3 years from the entry into force of this Agreement: (a) The General Director or First Deputy General Director must be Vietnamese citizens; and (b) A limited number of the most important matters which relate to the organization and operation of the enterprise, comprising the appointment or dismissal of General Director, First Deputy General Director, Chief Accountant; amendments of and additions to the charter of the enterprise; approval of final annual financial statements and financial statement of capital construction; and loan for investment shall be decided on the basis of consensus. 4.3 Prices and fees of some goods and services under the State's control: Vietnam is in the process of reforming its pricing system in order to develop a uniform set of fees and prices. With a view to creating a more attractive, non-discriminatory business environment, Vietnam shall: (a) upon the entry into force of this Agreement, (i) refrain from imposing new or more onerous discriminatory prices and fees; and (ii) eliminate, discriminatory prices and fees for the installation of telephones, telecommunications services (other than the subscription charge for local telephone service), water, and tourist services; (b) within two (2) years of the entry into force of this Agreement, eliminate, progressively, discriminatory prices and fees for registration of motor vehicles, international port charges, and for the subscription charge for local telephone service; and (c) within four (4) years of the entry into force of this Agreement, eliminate, progressively, discriminatory prices and fees for all other goods and services including, without limitation, electricity and air transport. 4.4 Government subsidies and supports: Government subsidies and supports granted to domestic enterprises, which include land allocation for investment projects, preferential credits, research and development and education assistance programs and other forms of Government supports, may not be made available to nationals or companies of the United States. 4.5 Ownership, use of land and residences: (a) Nationals and companies of the United States are not allowed to own land and residences. U.S. investors are allowed only to lease land for investment purposes. (b) U.S. enterprises are not yet allowed either to mortgage land use rights at foreign credit institutions operating in Vietnam or to transfer land use rights except for the case of transfers of invested assets associated with the land within the land lease period. 4.6 Notwithstanding the above reservations to national treatment for
the ownership and use of land and residences, Vietnam shall create favorable
conditions in exercising the mortgage and transfer of land use rights
relating to covered investments including the elimination, within 3 years
from the entry into force of this Agreement, of the restrictions on mortgage
and transfer of land use rights mentioned in sub-paragraph 4.5(b).
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