International press broadly reports on Vietnam-US agricultural ties

International news agencies such as Reuters, AP News, and Washington City Paper simultaneously reported on the working visit by Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), accompanied by 50 agencies, industry associations, and enterprises, to the U.S. during the first week of June.

The U.S.-based AP News highlighted Minister Do Duc Duy’s visit to the state of Iowa - widely known as the "Heart of Agriculture" of America.

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Quoting Minister Duy, AP wrote: "Vietnam has become one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters, contributing positively to global food security. Therefore, Vietnam and the United States can completely complement each other, jointly develop bilateral, stable and long-term agricultural supply chains."

"The discussion opened a substantive direction, promoting the export of high-quality agricultural products from Iowa to the Vietnamese market and vice versa," AP added in its report.

Meanwhile, Washington City Paper, based in the U.S. capital, reported that the visit of Vietnam’s MAE delegation to the U.S. demonstrated Vietnam’s goodwill to enhance trust within the bilateral agro-forestry-fishery supply chain partnership. The visit also contributed to further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

As part of the visit, Vietnamese businesses sought opportunities to import key agricultural products from the U.S., such as animal feed ingredients, fertilizers and biological pesticides, meat products, cold-water seafood, and raw timber, according to Washington City Paper.

On June 3, Reuters reported that Minister Do Duc Duy led a Vietnamese delegation of 50 agricultural enterprises to the U.S., where they signed five memoranda of understanding with partners in the state of Iowa. The agreements aim to facilitate the import of goods worth USD 800 million over the next three years.

The total value of Vietnam’s agricultural procurement agreements with the U.S this occasion is estimated at USD 2 billion. This move is part of broader efforts to narrow the trade imbalance between the two countries, which had risen to USD 123 billion by 2024.

“Vietnam and the Trump administration have been holding negotiations on a trade agreement, with Vietnam pledging to allow more U.S. imports to narrow the trade gap between the two countries,” this press agency reported.

Slovenia’s Solenia Times quoted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as saying: “Any agricultural trade imbalances are largely sector-specific and influenced by factors such as regulations, consumer demand, and supply chain dynamics. Ensuring reciprocal market access and reducing tariffs remain top priorities to sustain long-term trade growth.”

Vietnam is also among the first eight Asian countries to approve biotechnology-based plant seeds from the U.S. So far, it has approved all 61 biotechnology applications dossiers submitted by U.S. companies. The two sides have also agreed on transparent and practical methods, procedures, and protocols for animal and plant quarantine. These agreements help pave the way for the development of the agrifood markets in both countries. 

Mr. Ralph Lents, Chairman of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, stated on the IowaCorn: “Vietnam is a strategic trade partner and currently one of the top importers of dried distillers grains. This event showcased Vietnam's increased commitment to purchasing more agricultural products and reinforcing the strong partnership between our countries. Iowa is the top corn-producing state, and we are happy to serve as host to our important trade partners.”

Over the past two years, the Iowa Corn has worked closely with the U.S. Grains Council to actively carry out initiatives in Vietnam aimed at assessing the development potential of ethanol fuel in the country. This included hosting a high-level government delegation in Iowa last summer where we were able to showcase the benefits of using ethanol. If Vietnam implements a nationwide mandate for the use of E10 biofuel, it would bring significant benefits to corn growers in Iowa.