In an opinion column published in today's Wall Street Journal, Zhenhu Bian, president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal Byproducts, spoke against a provision in the 2008 Farm Bill that mandates the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspect all imported catfish. Supporters say this change is necessary to ensure product safety.
The problem, according to lawmakers, industry groups, and a number of other critics, is that such inspections are supposed to be in the hands of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Critics are pushing to put things back the way they were, because the USDA is not trained or equipped to handle catfish inspections, and the shift has already cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Other critics, including Bian, charge that the change was brought on by a special-interest group of domestic American catfish industry lobbyists, who are trying to erect an unofficial trade barrier to foreign imports.
“This provision has no basis in any scientific finding that catfish are a uniquely dangerous food or that the FDA was poorly regulating them,” he wrote. “Rather, a handful of lawmakers from catfish-producing states hoped to saddle foreign producers with hefty, and perhaps even prohibitive, compliance costs as we adjust to new safety regulations.”
Bian argued that the move is contrary to statements from U.S. officials that America is seeking more open markets with its trading partners.
“It is hard to see how America can do that when it will not lead the way by reducing its own barriers, or at least not putting new ones in place,” he wrote.
Bian noted that the change in U.S. regulation also clashes with the World Trade Organization (WTO), leaving the U.S. open to action by foreign trading partners.
Bian did not openly threaten the United States, but noted that right now, American products such as soy, corn, pork and beef are commonly exported to China.
“China and other countries welcome those foods,” he wrote. “But our openness should not be taken for granted. If Congress chooses to ignore the fact that 2008 farm bill violates WTO rules and does not repeal this provision, we reserve the right to ask our government to use all the tools available to it as a WTO member to challenge this unfair obstacle".
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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