Vietnam, US work on opening markets for more agricultural produce

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is collaborating with relevant agencies to complete procedures for exporting to the U.S. a series of new agricultural produce including oranges, tangerines, plums, and seedless lemons.

This information was revealed during a Thursday meeting in Hanoi between Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan and a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) delegation led by Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor.

Both sides have shown strong determination in expanding economic and trade cooperation in the wake of the Vietnam-U.S. relationship being upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023, the officials said.

Deputy Minister Tan said that the U.S. is a leading important partner for Vietnam and expressed his desire to further promote bilateral trade and investment relations.

The issue of opening the U.S. market for more agricultural products from Vietnam received special attention at the meeting, with both sides appreciating progress made in recent times.

The U.S. has allowed the import of fresh coconuts from Vietnam and is in the final stages of granting an import license for passion fruit. Meanwhile, Vietnam has opened its market to grapefruit, peaches and nectarines from the U.S.

The ongoing process of opening up markets to more agricultural products indicates efforts made by both sides for mutual benefit, the officials agreed.

Taylor also agreed with a proposal from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade that both sides continue to promote related processes to open the market to more types of fruit.

She said the U.S. also wishes to facilitate export of some plant products and animal feed from the U.S. into Vietnam.

Other important issues discussed at the meeting included cooperation in biofuels, ethanol and concerns about trade defense investigations.

Tan proposed that the U.S. support and invest in technical and technological resources to develop production and use of biofuels in Vietnam, which would contribute to Vietnam meeting commitments made at COP26.

Exports of U.S. agricultural and related products to Vieptnam totaled nearly $3.5 billion in 2023, according to the USDA. It said there was particularly high demand from Vietnam’s food processing, retail and restaurant sectors for tree nuts, fresh fruit, poultry, beef, and pork from the U.S.