Removal of Vietnam from LOI No. 444 coverage

The Government’s policy is to develop and strengthen trade relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Letter of Instructions No. 444 had included the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the list of socialist countries and other centrally-planned countries.
Vietnam’s shift toward an open economy, market liberalization, and global economic integration supports removing it from Letter of Instructions No. 444 coverage.
Vietnam’s membership in ASEAN and APEC, and its process of accession to the World Trade Organization, support ending continued coverage under Letter of Instructions No. 444.
Continued coverage under Letter of Instructions No. 444 is declared inconsistent with the country’s national interest because trade routed through the Philippine International Trading Corporation is characterized as an unnecessary barrier to trade.

The order applies to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The order covers the list of countries covered by Letter of Instructions No. 444, which included socialist countries and other centrally-planned countries.
The order requires deletion/removal of Vietnam from that LOI coverage.
The order is directed to the Committee on Scientific and Technical Cooperation with Socialist Countries as the implementing entity.

Executive Order No. 275 directs the Committee on Scientific and Technical Cooperation with Socialist Countries to remove the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from the list of countries covered by Letter of Instructions No. 444.
The removal is required as a deletion of Vietnam from LOI No. 444 coverage.
The directive is implemented through the Committee’s action to update or revise the LOI-covered country list.

Executive Order No. 275 is signed by Joseph Ejercito Estrada and attested by Ronaldo B. Zamora, Executive Secretary.
The order is dated August 30, 2000.
No publication rule, transitory clause, or specific effectivity date is stated in the order’s text.