“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) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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