Vietnam and the US accelerate progress in opening agricultural markets

On August 27 (local time), as part of his visit to the United States, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung met with Jason Hafemeister, Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The delegation's visit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) aims to expedite the market access process for various fruits that Vietnam excels in exporting, strengthen cooperation between the two ministries in plant protection, and promote technical collaboration and investment in sustainable agricultural production and emissions reduction.

During the meeting, the two Deputy Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the approval to export U.S. peaches and nectarines to the Vietnamese market, marking significant progress in market access for other fruits from both countries.

Specifically, both sides agreed on technical requirements for Vietnamese passion fruit and made strides in the review process for U.S. mandarins. Deputy Secretary Hafemeister noted that the U.S. has never enjoyed such a close cooperative relationship with any other regional partner.

He pledged to further bolster technical cooperation, enhance the capacity of the two countries' management agencies in pest control, risk analysis, and research and development, and implement new initiatives and improve crop varieties.

To support the continued growth and market share of Vietnam's agro-forestry-fishery products, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung expressed hope that the USDA will play an appropriate role in the consultation process regarding trade defense cases against Vietnam's agro-forestry-fishery products, particularly those involving timber, warm-water shrimp, and honey. The U.S. side recognized the commercial significance of these products in stabilizing farmers' livelihoods and acknowledged the legitimate interests of Vietnamese enterprises.

Regarding implementing new measures in animal and plant quarantine, the two Deputy Ministers agreed on the general principle of adhering to multilateral international trade commitments to which both sides are members. They emphasized compliance with domestic laws while promptly updating practices in line with new trends in trade, production, and disease management for animals and plants.

The United States pledged continued support for Vietnam in implementing projects related to fertilizer management, biological pesticides, and rice production in the Mekong Delta region.

At the conclusion of the working session, both sides shared their commitment to developing green and environmentally responsible agricultural production, collaborating to ensure global food security. They reaffirmed their intent to strengthen cooperation and mutual support in implementing global initiatives on smart, climate-resilient, and environmentally friendly agriculture. This includes the "Agricultural Innovation to Respond to Climate Change" (AIM4C) initiative and the Action Alliance "Promoting Sustainable Productivity Growth for Food Security and Resource Conservation" (SPG).

Previously, during a working session with the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Deputy Minister Hoang Trung listened to reports from APHIS and the Plant Protection Department on the outcomes of the 2024 technical meeting between the two sides. He acknowledged their efforts and commended the results achieved in enhancing market access for plant products by diversifying both the range of products and additional treatment measures in pest management.

Regarding market access, the two countries agreed to conclude technical discussions and proceed with legal procedures to allow the import of Vietnamese passion fruit. They also initiated the review process for new Vietnamese products, including seedless lemons, guavas, and jackfruits. Additionally, they reached an agreement on the pest list and subsequent steps in the review process for tangerines, plums, lemons, pomegranates, and other products relevant to U.S. plant breeding.

In terms of additional treatment measures and enhancements to plant quarantine procedures, the U.S. side acknowledged Vietnam's proposals to diversify quarantine measures, such as hot steam treatment, Methyl Bromide treatment, and cold treatment, aimed at reducing costs and facilitating trade between the two countries. The U.S. affirmed its commitment to closely coordinate and carry out necessary testing activities to finalize these measures.

Both sides also agreed to implement measures to disinfect dry goods in containers at import ports. The U.S. further pledged to support Vietnam in transitioning to the use of electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto).

Following the direction of the Deputy Minister, the authorities of both countries have reached an agreement on a Cooperation Framework moving forward. This framework will focus on enhancing capacity in risk analysis and pest identification, sharing knowledge and research results in plant pest management, and applying digital transformation in quarantine management.

The United States is a crucial export market for Vietnam's agricultural products. In 2023, Vietnam's agricultural exports to the United States reached 10.96 billion USD, accounting for 20.7% of Vietnam's total agricultural exports worldwide.