Ambassador Knapper affirmed U.S. support for Vietnam’s sustainable development, particularly in climate change response, natural resource management, and fisheries.
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Fillet catfish for export |
The diplomat expressed his desire to continue cooperating with the Vietnamese government to promote agricultural development and environmental protection, contributing to strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He said balancing bilateral agricultural trade is a key issue of interest to President Donald Trump, suggesting Vietnam further open its market.
Duy noted that the recent discussions between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) allowed his ministry to better understand the interests of U.S. firms.
The key agricultural products of the two countries complement each other rather than compete. Therefore, Vietnam is willing to open its market to U.S. agricultural products, he said.
The Vietnamese ministry has approved 60 out of 61 applications for genetically modified food, mainly maize and soybeans for animal feed. In 2024, Vietnam imported nearly 1.5 billion USD worth of these products from the U.S., according to the official.
Regarding market access for U.S. mandarins, Duy said the ministry has drafted import conditions, which are expected to be finalised by March 2025. For plums and lemons, Vietnam is allocating additional resources to simultaneously approve both products, with the submission for the draft pest risk analysis (PRA) report scheduled for April and May 2025.
Ambassador Knapper welcomed Vietnam’s efforts in facilitating agricultural trade.
Cooperation in IUU fishing combat
The U.S. recently provided 2.5 million USD to help Vietnam combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Ambassador Knapper stressed that enforcing fishing laws is a priority for President Trump and urged closer cooperation.
Minister Duy touched upon the impact of legal reforms on the livelihoods of fishermen, calling for greater sharing of experience in policy making and law enforcement.
Vietnam is seeking an extension to submit data for U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) compliance, pushing the deadline from April 1 to July 1, 2025. Ambassador Knapper pledged to convey this request to U.S. authorities.
Source: VNA