“We’re lobbying on it, we’re educating people on the hill about it, and at this point, there’s a firestorm in the media against it, NFI Spokesman Gavin Gibbons told IntraFish. NFI has three lobbyists in Washington D.C., he said.
Currently, the FDA remains the only agency charged with inspecting catfish imports, as the USDA has put off implementing its inspection program ever since it was created as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.
If the repeal fails and the program launches, it would require as many as three agencies – the FDA, the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the USDA -- to inspect catfish imports into the US, and slap prohibitive requirements on pangasius importers, which would fall under the heading of catfish.
The seafood industry stands to lose out significantly, Gibbons said.
“Right off the bat, it would be pangasius importers – they would be impacted right away,” he said. “But we know that the domestic catfish importers have other species in their cross hairs, including tilapia.”
A backlash from the exporting country -- Vietnam -- is also likely. The Washington Times recently reported Vietnam has threatened a trade war over the program, and some warn the USDA inspection program meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) definition of an unfair trade barrier.
“If this program is allowed to stand, there will be many more losers than there will be winners,” Gibbons said. “A few domestic catfish suppliers benefit while the majority of the seafood community loses, and the US agriculture community loses as well.”
Among major news agencies, the most persuasive argument for repeal is fiscal responsibility.
News agencies such as Fox News, US News and World Report and The Wall Street Journal have called out the program for wasteful spending, along with an onslaught of political blogs. A Government Accountability Office report, published in March, backs up their claims. It found the program duplicates existing federal programs at a cost of $14 million (€11 million) to the government and industry.
“If FSIS’s proposed program were implemented, GAO expects it would cause duplication and inefficient use of resources in several key areas,” the report says.
Officials at the FDA and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) say the further inspections will not improve catfish safety and are counter to the use of the FDA’s hazard analysis requirements, according to the GAO report.
Salmonella was initially cited as a concern by the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) as the primary food hazard in catfish, but the GAO found the agency used “outdated and limited information” as the basis for the inspection program.
The US Catfish Farmers of America issued statements in support of the bill for years, but a response to the recent media attention was absent from their website as of Wednesday.
"This is not about catfish; this is about trade," Gibbons said.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
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