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) After a fairly strong upward trend in 2025, Vietnam’s clam exports entered 2026 with a mixed picture: strong growth at the beginning of the year, followed by a slowdown from March onward. According to Vietnam Customs data, Vietnam’s clam export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached more than USD 38 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
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
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn