Vietnam and the United States foster agricultural scientific and technological cooperation

Minister Le Minh Hoan thanked the United States and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for their technical assistance to the Vietnam agriculture industry over the years which help increase the capacities of Vietnamese technical agencies.

According to the minister, the disclosure of successful African Swine Fever vaccine research and production has been the clearest illustration of excellent scientific and technological cooperation between American and Vietnamese experts.

According to the Minister, at the recent COP27 event, Vietnam proposed to promote cooperation in sustainable development, green growth, low-carbon agriculture, climate change response, forest recovery and development, and biodiversity conservation, as well as a commitment to low-emission development, with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, among other things.

Vietnam has announced various new policies to implement these pledges, including the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development for the period 2021-2030, Vision to 2050, Action Plan to Reduce Methane Emissions by 2030, and so on. Vietnam is determined to plant one billion trees by 2025, with an emphasis on converting the food system into one that is "green," low-emission, and sustainable.

MARD sought technical and financial assistance from the US side through concrete initiatives and actions to help Vietnam improve its capability and meet its commitments in global efforts.

"On February 15, Vietnam officially finished the procedures and opened the market for pomelos from the United States," Minister Le Minh Hoan stated of cooperation in expanding trade in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. " On the contrary, we ask the US to expedite the evaluation process and allow Vietnam's coconut and passion fruit to enter the market," said the MARD Minister. 

Minister Le Minh Hoan also requested that the US assist in renovating the Hanoi irradiation center to completely meet technical requirements and to establish circumstances for the export of Vietnamese lychee, longan, and other fruits to the American market.

About the approval of genetically modified goods, Minister Le Minh Hoan stated that the MARD has accepted 52 records of genetically modified events for animal feed by American enterprises, with four applications still processing. The Ministry promised to form a National Appraisal Council soon to assess and approve the dossier in accordance with legislation.

Concerning the execution of the Vietnam-US agreement on the control of illegal logging and trade (Section 301), MARD is cooperating with the US Trade Representative to ensure that the Agreement's obligations are met on time. The good findings of the 301 investigations will be a driving factor in the wood industry's efforts to grow exports to the United States, diversify new products, and raise the value.

Regarding the Anti-Dumping Investigation on honey, the US is imposing an anti-dumping duty of 58.74% - 61.27% on Vietnamese honey, which is a comparatively high and unfair tariff affecting more than 35,000 Vietnamese export beekeepers.

At the upcoming December review, the MARD leader expected the US to consider picking an appropriate reference country with comparable conditions to Vietnam (proposing India) to lower or remove taxes for Vietnamese enterprises.

From the US side, US Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack praised the two countries' collaboration. The US is dedicated to supporting Vietnam with technical assistance and capacity building in the agriculture sector. Previously, Mr. Vilsack and a US Department of Agriculture group visited the Vietnam Academy of Forest Science and attended the Vietnam Wood Identification and Screening Center's inaugural ceremony.

"We can observe that the volume and value of agricultural goods have increased in both nations in recent years." Vietnam is aiming to sell coconuts to the United States, and we are currently researching and commenting on associated questions and suggestions. The taste of Vietnamese passion fruit is also appreciated by the American people; we will endeavor to finish the pest risk assessment procedure for this fruit and anticipate its importation soon," stated Mr. Vilsack.

The US Secretary also requested that the Vietnamese government assist in expanding market access options for nectarines, peaches, lemons, and mandarins...

In terms of vaccine collaboration against African swine fever, Mr. Vilsack stated that the two sides would continue to work together to bring this vaccine to market as soon as possible, providing advantages for the pig sector in Vietnam and throughout the world.

Vietnam is expected to host the 4th Global Conference on Sustainable Food Systems from April 24 to 27, 2023 in Hanoi, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan expected The US Department of Agriculture would send a delegation to participate in this event.