The Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA) announced on October 13 that payment for four out of five containers of pepper, cinnamon, and cashew nuts exported from Vietnam to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had now been retrieved.

The Ajman Bank in the UAE refunded over $354,990 to the Vietnamese companies from October 10-12.

The payments were made after three months of exclusive cooperation between parties from Vietnam and the UAE over payment delays.

According to the VPA, regarding a container of star anise which has been at Jebel Ali Port since July 26, the owner is still working with the Ajman Bank to seek payment for all costs incurred, including warehousing and legal fees and the cost of returning the goods to Hai Phong, the port of departure.

On July 15, after receiving reports that some Vietnamese firms had been scammed after exporting five containers of farm produce to the UAE, the VPA in coordination with the Vietnam Cashew Association and various businesses, banks, and shipping service providers quickly compiled information and reported the incident to ministries, government agencies, and the Vietnamese Embassy and trade representative office in the UAE as well as the UAE Embassy in Vietnam.