This protective barrier of the U.S. Congress is causing business losses for not only Vietnamese seafood exporters but also those from other ASEAN countries. The analysis was said in the margin of the U.S - Vietnam conference on agriculture cooperation in Washington DC.
At the conference, experts from Vietnam introduced American enterprises opportunities to cooperate and invest into the fields of agriculture, forestry and fishery in Vietnam, especially potentials in aquaculture.
Most American representatives evaluated that with a great contribution of over 20 percent to GDP and increasing export value, which is expected to reach US$30 billion by 2015, the agricultural sector of Vietnam show high potentials for foreign investors.
However, one of the biggest obstacles in commercial exchanges between Vietnam and the U.S. are now trade barriers including unfair antidumping and countervailing taxes.
Currently, the most concern of Vietnamese agricultural and seafood exporters to the American market is the catfish inspection program developed and implemented by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Exports of Vietnamese pangasius to the U.S. may be stopped for a long period to prepare to meet U.S. new requirements.
Furthermore, the catfish inspection program will also impact on other seafood supplying countries to the U.S.
Robert DeHann, Vice president of National Fishery Institution (NFI), said that the USDA catfish program is a manner to protect benefits of a small part in U.S. fishery industry.
"We really worry that this program, if implemented in the coming years, will cause an immediate ban of some seafood products imported from many countries, especially Vietnam. We asked the U.S. government to repeal this duplicative program and I knew that Vietnam sent the same request to the U.S competent authorities. And other ASEAN countries having seafood trade with the U.S. must join hand to call for this repeal. If not, their products of other species and varieties will also be regulated by this program sooner or later", he highlighted.
Under the newly adopted Farm Bill 2014, USDA will set up a Catfish Office to monitor the inspection of catfish and require imported products to meet standard for farming and processing activities, which is currently imposed to American companies to ensure food safety.
According to the General Secretary of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the catfish program will block imports of pangasius and catfish from ASEAN countries into the U.S. "So far no country in ASEAN can meet standard set by the USDA. This is an unfair requirement to protect domestic producers", he added.
U.S. trade barriers are obstacles in economic relations between Vietnam and the U.S. Vietnam will continue to call for the repeal of the USDA catfish program. It is also preparing for trade disputes under the WTO.
So far, there is no report on risks and impacts of imported pangasius on consumers' health in the U.S. The switch of inspection responsibility from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to USDA, which leads to implementation of unfeasible standards to imported products, is clearly a protectionist manner.
Though being approved in early 2014, the new Farm Bill has to wait for a long time to be implemented. Standards developed by the USDA have not been finally issued until December instead of April as fixed by the U.S. Congress.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp industry is entering a period of strong transformation with the emergence of various high-tech farming models, helping improve productivity and competitiveness. Over the past 5–10 years, farming practices have shifted from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive systems, featuring lined ponds, environmental sensors, automated feeding, and data management.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With a focus on sustainable development, high-tech application, and climate change adaptation, An Giang Province aims to maintain its brackish water shrimp production in 2026 at a level equivalent to the previous year. Specifically, output is projected to reach over 155,510 tons, serving both domestic consumption and export processing, thereby sustaining the fisheries sector’s key role in the local economic structure.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s scallop exports are entering a phase of impressive growth, as the global market undergoes significant restructuring. In 2025, scallop export value reached nearly USD 66 million, up 49% from USD 44 million in 2024. This upward momentum has continued and accelerated into early 2026, with exports totaling USD 18.1 million in the first two months alone—an increase of 166% year-on-year. This represents an exceptionally high growth rate, reflecting the rapid expansion of a relatively new product segment within Vietnam’s mollusk export portfolio.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) – On March 19, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting with the European Commission (EC) inspection delegation on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, led by Mr. Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, Head of Unit at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).
(vasep.com.vn) Australia is emerging as one of the most stable and promising growth markets for Vietnamese shrimp. Amid global trade disruptions driven by geopolitical tensions—particularly conflicts in the Middle East—strengthening and expanding into stable markets like Australia has become increasingly important for Vietnam’s shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s squid and octopus exports reached over USD 111 million, up 23% compared to the same period in 2025. This result indicates a positive start for the sector, reflecting early signs of demand recovery in multiple markets from the beginning of the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s fisheries sector maintained positive growth momentum, with shrimp output exceeding 132 thousand tons. This result contributed to a strong increase in seafood export turnover, despite ongoing volatility in the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports maintained strong growth momentum in February 2026, with many markets recording sharp increases compared to the same period last year. In February alone, export value reached USD 8.4 million, up 148% year-on-year. Cumulatively, in the first two months of 2026, total tilapia export turnover hit USD 23 million, soaring 242% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In global seafood trade, sensory evaluation is increasingly becoming one of the key “technical barriers” in many importing markets-especially the United States. Issues such as filth, and signs of decomposition/spoilage are often detected through sensory evaluation methods and remain common reasons for seafood import alerts, detentions, or shipment rejections.
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