Key facts
- U.S. customs officials have conducted spot inspections at China-linked factories in Vietnam.
- The inspections focused on verifying documents, raw material sources, and production processes to determine value addition.
- Potential software intellectual property violations were also examined.
- Despite concerns, there is no significant evidence of Chinese goods illicitly transiting through Vietnam to the U.S.
- Reuters could not independently verify the Bloomberg report.
U.S. customs officials have initiated spot inspections at factories in Vietnam with links to China, according to a Bloomberg News report citing sources familiar with the matter. The inspections involved examining documents, raw material sources, and production processes to ascertain the extent of value addition before goods are exported to the United States. Inspectors also reviewed potential intellectual property violations related to software usage.
While there have been concerns that the U.S. might increase or broaden tariffs against Vietnam, Bloomberg's report indicated a lack of significant evidence suggesting Chinese goods are being illicitly transited through Vietnam to reach the U.S.