US extends Vietnam trade probe on intellectual property by three months

HANOI — The ​United States has ​extended a trade ‌probe into Vietnam's intellectual property protections by three months until the end ​of ⁠February, the Office of the US Trade Representative ‌said on Tuesday, citing the complexity of the matter.

Launched in ⁠May to look into Vietnam's alleged "persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement," ​the probe was initially scheduled to ​be completed ‌at the end of this month, the ​USTR ⁠had said.

The deadline for its ⁠conclusion has now been moved to Feb 28 because "the investigation involves ⁠complex or complicated issues ​that require additional time," according to a USTR statement released ‌on Tuesday.