GlobalAutoIndustry.com’s latest Audio Interview “Setting up Manufacturing in Vietnam: Legal and Policy Challenges” features Tran Ngoc Trung, senior regulatory advisor at Baker Mckenzie Vietnam. Trung has been the key external legal counsel for most of Vietnamese auto manufacturers in the past five years. He is the main author in a Baker McKenzie’s publication “Tax, Customs and Regulatory Aspects of Vietnam’s Automobile Industry,” and aims to provide an initial view of key legal aspects that affect Vietnam’s automobile industry.
In the nine-minute audio interview, Trung discusses these questions:
- The Vietnam automotive industry has recently attracted international attention with the emerging Vinfast electric car manufacturer as the first Vietnamese car manufacturer that is capable of introducing their cars worldwide, can you give a brief overview on the current manufacturing environment in Vietnam and what foreign manufacturers may expect from this market?
- From a policy aspect, what incentives can car manufacturers receive from the Government?
- There are always pros and cons when choosing a destination for manufacturing, but a key factor for successful manufacturing is the localization rate. Can you share further insight on this aspect?
- With such challenges, does it mean that importing and distributing imported cars will still be a major strategy for foreign car manufacturers in the long run?
About Tran Ngoc Trung
Trung Tran is a senior regulatory advisor in Baker McKenzie Vietnam’s tax practice, specializing in international trade, customs and tax services. Trung focuses particularly on international trade and compliance including transactional documentation, advising on accessing to Vietnamese market in aspects of tax, customs, technical barriers, and international commitments. He also has experience advising clients on customs and tax issues (Import Duty, VAT, SCT) for exports and imports of various categories, including administrative complaints, litigations, day-to-day business advice, trade remedies, including AD/CVD investigations, safeguard, etc. as well as transfer pricing and tax treaty exemption. Trung, as a former senior government official, has assisted clients in various advocacy works in customs and tax issues.
Click here to listen to the audio interview.