Vietnam urges U.S. to reconsider seafood trade curbs

Vietnam’s industry and trade minister has called on Washington to review restrictions on its seafood exports after U.S. authorities declined to recognise 12 of the country’s fishing methods as equivalent under American law.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien urged the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to reverse their decision, warning of serious disruption to bilateral trade and risks to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fishermen and workers.

NOAA told Vietnam’s agriculture and environment ministry earlier this month that it would not grant equivalency for the 12 methods under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). The decision, issued on Sept. 10, will block seafood caught with those practices from entering the U.S. market from Jan. 1, 2026.

The ban is expected to hit major Vietnamese exports including tuna, swordfish, grouper, mackerel, mullet, crab, squid and scad.

VASEP said the industry, together with the government and local authorities, has worked to strengthen fisheries management, citing the 2017 Fisheries Law, tougher local enforcement, compliance with IUU and SIMP rules, fishery improvement projects for crab and tuna, and dolphin-safe certification in tuna supply chains.

The association said NOAA’s decision underscores the need for urgent government action to safeguard market access.

In his letter, Dien also asked Lutnick to ensure fair treatment for Vietnamese shrimp companies in the ongoing 19th administrative review of U.S. anti-dumping duties, stressing they are “reliable partners” in the American market.

Vietnam said the U.S. measures would affect not only its producers, exporters and fishermen but also U.S. importers, workers and consumers.

The two countries upgraded relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023, with Hanoi describing Washington as a key trade partner and pledging to resolve disputes constructively.

Source:  https://vietfishmagazine.com/