MARD and Washington state sign MoU to promote agricultural trade

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung stressed that the relationship between the US and Vietnam, which was elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the purposes of peace, cooperation, and sustainable development, has laid a basis for the promotion of general cooperation between the two countries and agriculture sector in particular.

Washington State is the second best of the US in terms of economy and leads in agriculture production. Despite the economic, commercial, and investment cooperation between Vietnam and Washington State in recent years having achieved certain accomplishments, the results have not really matched the potential and strengths in the cooperation between the two sides.

To further promote cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the state of Washington in the coming time, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung proposed several areas in which both sides can enhance.

First, Vietnam expects to accelerate the digitalization proess in the field of agriculture to establish digital agricultural environment and ecosystem, laying background and creating institutions to promote modern agriculrual development while preserving and protecting the environment.

Microsoft is one of the largest tech colongmorate that presented in Vietnam from the very early days with significant software and information technology services. MARD proposed Microsoft to support in the implementation of digitaliztion program and provide recommendations for the effective execution of digitalization in the fields of livestock and crop production, etc.

Secondly, it is proposed that both parties strengthen educational cooperation. The state of Washington is home to many top universities in the United States, attracting numerous Vietnamese students, particularly in the city of Seattle. Some universities in Vietnam, such as the Water Resources University and the Agriculture Academy, have established cooperative training programs with institutions in the state. Deputy Minister Hoang Trung suggests advancing cooperation in this field in the near future, facilitating opportunities for professionals in the sector to undergo postgraduate training at universities in the state.

Thirdly, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung proposes that both sides promote more robust trade and investment exchanges. Washington state exports many leading agricultural products in the United States, while the agricultural products of the United States and Vietnam are complementary. Enhancing trade and investment could foster potential for increased agricultural imports and exports between the two sides in the future. The Deputy Minister also hopes that with support from Washington state and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, a partnership can be forged to promote investment between enterprises from both sides and create additional potential and commercial opportunities between the two countries.

For the part of Washington State, Director of Washington State Department of Agriculture Derek Sandison shared that Washington State's agricultural industry and Washington State in general greatly appreciates the strong relationship with Vietnam. The latter become one of Washington State’s top agricultural markets, accounting for approximately 157 million in food and agricultural exports in 2023.

In apples alone, in 2023, exports from the State to Vietnam are valued at 57 million USD. Dairy products reached about 40 million USD. And wheat, seafood, cherries, french fries, and beef are among some of the other top exports to Vietnam.

He introduced that the agricultural delegation on this trade mission record is not only those products that I've mentioned previously, but also they have representatives of their wine and hay industry, who are there because of their commitment to the Vietnamese economy.

“We see interest and demand for our products continuing to grow from Vietnamese consumers who are seeking high quality, safe and nutritious products. And we take that very seriously in terms of our production methods and inspection methods”, said Derek.

He also pointed out his grateful that Vietnam was able to lift the ban on Canadian thistle. The removal of this restriction has reduced the risk of trade disruptions, which is a very positive development for their food and beverage manufacturers.

The US side also expressed gratitude for the elimination of the 3 percent tariff on U.S. wheat in recent years. This is what Washington and Vietnam are even playing in the field with competitors.

The Director of Agriculture of Washington state proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reduce or eliminate tariffs on agricultural products with the hope of providing high-quality agricultural products from the United States at affordable prices for Vietnamese consumers, such as apples, wine, and cherries.

Also during the meeting, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung and Director of Washington State Department of Agriculture Derek Sandison, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Agricultural Development Cooperation, promoting the trade of agricultural products between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and Washington state. The MoU aims to enhance trade and investment cooperation in agriculture, encourage collaboration in research and development, and share information on sustainable agricultural development.

Deputy Minister Hoang Trung expressed confidence that the MoU would elevate cooperation in agriculture between the two parties, meeting the current potential for collaboration.

In addition to traditional trade and agricultural barriers, Mr. Derek stated that the MoU would address and seek to support agricultural issues, agricultural education, and technology development. Washington state will collaborate with the University of Washington to provide training courses on leadership skills, agricultural training, and technology. This framework will also be used to establish standards for the import and export of agricultural products.