Mar 01, 2006

On March 15, ASTM International received the Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade by the U.S. Commerce Department. The Certificate was presented to ASTM International President James A. Thomas by Douglas K. Barry, Acting Director for the U.S. Commercial Service’s USA Trade Promotion Center, before a Vietnamese delegation of legislators and standards officials visiting the United States and ASTM Headquarters as part of a mission arranged by the U.S. Commercial Service in Vietnam.

The Certificate of Appreciation for Achievement in Trade is presented to organizations that have partnered with the Department’s Commercial Service to help promote trade/export opportunities for U.S. businesses.  ASTM International was recognized for its work with Vietnam in helping that country adopt international standards.

As a result of ASTM’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the national standards body of Vietnam (STAMEQ) signed in 2004, Vietnam has already adopted 54 ASTM standards as Vietnamese National Standards in the areas of petroleum, aviation fuels, nondestructive testing, gasoline, road construction, roofing materials, and coal.  In addition STAMEQ reported using 180 other ASTM standards for their own internal use in such areas as steel, aluminum, cement, ceramic tile, asphalt, wool, paints, plastics, and plastic pipe.

Vietnam’s adoption of global standards with the help of ASTM International has greatly expanded avenues for increased U.S.-Vietnamese commercial cooperation," Barry said. "Through its efforts in shaping international standards, ASTM International is helping Vietnam and other nations to develop their economic infrastructures and bring them further into the mainstream of trade."   

Under the MOU, ASTM provided STAMEQ with its entire collection of 12,000 standards free of charge every year for Vietnam’s use in developing its own national standards. ASTM International has also provided membership to representatives of STAMEQ on ASTM committees dealing with petroleum, paint, textiles, plastics, laboratory accreditation, and nanotechnology.  

U.S.-Vietnam trade has increased more than five-fold since the implementation of the bilateral trade agreement between the two countries in 2001.  Last year, two-way trade was $7.8 billion, a jump of $6.3 billion since the agreement went into force.

For more information on ASTM’s MOU program, contact Kitty Kono, ASTM Vice-President of Global Cooperation (phone: 610/832-9687; kkono@astm.org).

Release #7363