Trade barriers removed, Vietnam and U.S. strengthen agricultural ties

Towards the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations

On March 26, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy met with U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Marc Knapper.

Minister Do Duc Duy first expressed his honor in welcoming the Ambassador as the first guest in his role as Minister of Agriculture and Environment. He emphasized that before the merger of the two ministries, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) had always maintained a strong cooperative relationship with their U.S. counterparts.

The Minister referenced the recent dialogue between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC). On this occasion, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) had the opportunity to exchange insights and gain a deeper understanding of U.S. business interests, strengthening cooperation between the two sides.

“This year, both countries will continue engaging in meaningful activities to mark the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. diplomatic relations. During his previous term, President Donald Trump visited Vietnam twice, demonstrating his deep interest and understanding of the country,” Minister Do Duc Duy stated, expressing confidence that the cooperation between the two nations will continue to achieve new milestones.

For his part, Ambassador Marc Knapper affirmed that the United States remains committed to supporting Vietnam’s sustainable development, actively engaging in key areas such as climate change, natural resource management, and sustainable fisheries.

He also expressed his desire to continue working closely with the Vietnamese Government to promote agricultural development and environmental protection, thereby further strengthening diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Promote market access for U.S. agricultural commodities

According to Ambassador Knapper, balancing two-way agricultural trade is a key focus of President Donald Trump. The Ambassador stated that the U.S. seeks market access to compete more fairly in Vietnam’s growing market.

“With a solid foundation of cooperation, two-way agricultural trade is no longer a major obstacle between the two sides. Most importantly, the two countries' strong agricultural products are complementary rather than competitive, so we are very willing to open the door to U.S. agricultural products. These are decisions that benefit both countries,” affirmed the Minister.

Minister Do Duc Duy stated that, to date, the MAE has approved 60 out of 61 genetically modified food dossiers, primarily for corn and soybeans used in animal feed. In 2024, Vietnam imported nearly 1.5 billion USD worth of corn, soybeans, and raw materials for animal feed production from the United States.

Regarding market access for agricultural products, for tangerines, the MAE has drafted import conditions, expected to be finalized by March 2025, paving the way for the entry of U.S. tangerines in the upcoming harvest.

For plums and lemons, Vietnam is allocating additional resources to simultaneously approve both products. Draft Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) reports are scheduled for submission in April and May 2025.

In response to the Minister’s remarks, the U.S. Ambassador expressed appreciation for the Vietnamese government's efforts and commitment to promoting two-way trade.

Exchange of expertise on sustainable extraction of marine resources

One of the recent milestones in Vietnam-U.S. relations is the 2.5 million aid package aimed at supporting Vietnam in enforcing maritime laws and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper emphasized that law enforcement and the fight against IUU fishing are priorities for President Trump, and the United States seeks to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in this area.

Discussing the challenges in combating IUU fishing, Minister Do Duc Duy stated: “Adjustments in legal regulations directly impact the legitimate livelihoods of fishermen. Therefore, enhancing the exchange of expertise in policy-making and law enforcement should be prioritized.”

Accordingly, Minister Do Duc Duy referred to unofficial information received by the MAE at the end of February 2025 regarding the U.S. preliminary ruling.

In this ruling, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) does not recognize Vietnam’s fisheries management system as equivalent under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

“In fact, the relevant U.S. data entry portal has been closed since August 2022. As a result, the preliminary ruling does not fully reflect Vietnam’s latest legal and enforcement adjustments,” the Minister explained.

Currently, the Ministry has reviewed and supplemented regulations related to the MMPA within Vietnam’s legal framework at the government level. However, given the nature of small-scale fisheries, compiling comprehensive statistics on measures implemented since 2024 within a short period remains a significant challenge for Vietnam.

The Minister requested the Ambassador’s support in extending the deadline for submitting relevant data to July 1, 2025, instead of the current deadline of April 1, 2025.

Ambassador Marc Knapper affirmed his commitment to relaying the Minister’s concerns to the relevant U.S. agencies during the evaluation process. He expressed hope that bilateral cooperation would continue to make positive contributions to agricultural production, environmental protection, and public health improvements in Vietnam.

Vietnam is making concerted efforts to fulfill its commitments to the United States and facilitate U.S. business exports to Vietnam. The import turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products from the U.S. has increased by 25%, rising from 2.2 billion USD in 2023 to 2.76 billion USD in 2024.