Vietnam and the US have a fabulous agricultural cooperation

In a meeting with US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E.Knapper, MARD Minister Le Minh Hoan underlined that Vietnam is always willing to expand and strengthen cooperation programs, as well as work to remove barriers to agricultural trade between the two countries in the coming time. 

Minister Le Minh Hoan noted a recent event in which the US Department of Commerce reduced the anti-dumping duty on Vietnamese honey to 60%, compared to the previously estimated rate of

"This assists Vietnamese beekeepers in developing and expanding the market for Vietnamese honey in the United States," Minister Le Minh Hoan explained. He invited Mr. Marc to visit some honey manufacturing facilities in Vietnam for a few days to get to know the product.

In terms of sustainable agriculture and rural development, Minister Le Minh Hoan emphasized that Vietnam has taken a proactive role in US environmental protection and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives.

Ambassador Marc E.Knapper stated that the US is extremely appreciative of Vietnam's bold commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. "With regards to agricultural concerns, the US is willing to assist Vietnam in adapting to climate change on technical, financial, professional, and staff levels," he stated.

The US Ambassador stated, citing the issue, "Currently, the two nations have excellent cooperations, such as protecting river resources in the Mekong Delta."

Ambassador Marc confirmed that the US expects to become one of Vietnam's top trading partners in agricultural trade: "Agricultural products from the United States will contribute to food security and provide an abundant supply for Vietnam's market. While Vietnam has supplied a diverse range of goods to US customers".

Minister Le Minh Hoan agreed with Mr. Marc E.Knapper that US agricultural goods sold to Vietnam have a high ranking, and the two sides will continue to cooperate to maintain smooth trade relations and hopes that the US side would expand the market for Vietnamese pomelo.

Additionally, the Minister urged that the US assist Vietnam with preservation technology projects to assure quality standards, allowing for greater access to the US market.

Ambassador Marc E. Knapper agreed with this approach, believing that improving the quality of agricultural goods benefits not just Vietnam, but also the US market. "With regards to the Vietnamese pomelo, we are getting closer to the point when US customers would be happy to consume the product," the Ambassador stated.

Additionally, during the afternoon meeting of April 13, Minister Le Minh Hoan mentioned the issue of removing the IUU yellow card, which is also an issue on which Ambassador Marc stated that the US wants to cooperate with Vietnam to provide tools and methods to overcome the issue, which affects not only trade but also the environment.

Additionally, the Minister and Ambassador committed to promoting collaboration to develop an African Swine Fever vaccine.