Vietnam’s filing cites the newly implemented USDA inspection program, which imported pangasius now must pass through inspections performed by both the USDA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Shipments of pangasius from Vietnam to the United States have long been unfairly targeted for trade restrictions by United States producers of like products,” the filing stated. “These exports by Vietnamese producers are now subject to laws, rules, administrative practices, and related actions of the United States that, without a sufficient scientific basis, are restricting the trade in this product, which is of substantial significance to the Vietnamese economy, and which also provides a substantial benefit to United States consumers as a healthy and affordable source of food and of protein.”
The National Fisheries Institute, a trade group representing the U.S. seafood industry, said it was paying close attention to the case and that the WTO’s involvement could have drastic implications on American exports to Vietnam. John Connelly, NFI’s president, said the USDA program was designed solely to protect American catfish producers.
“The program is now poised to negatively impact significant U.S. agriculture exports to Vietnam. Cotton, wheat and other grains, pork, soybeans, beef, poultry, eggs and fruit, may end up in the crosshairs of retaliatory tariffs,” Connelly said.
The 2008 Farm Bill amended the U.S. Federal Meat Inspection Act to put monitoring of domestic catfish under the purview of the USDA. The 2014 Farm Bill amended the act further to include imported pangasius fish. To continue exporting fish into the U.S., countries were required to show documentation that their inspection system met U.S. standards.
The USDA officially took over control of the catfish inspection program last September after an 18-month transition period, resulting in a drastic slowdown in the amount of product Vietnamese processors sent to the U.S. last year.
Last month, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers reported that while the country’s pangasius exports were up more than five percent through November 2017, exports to the U.S. were down nearly 10 percent and totaled USD 319.7 million (EUR 261.6 million).
VASEP also noted that while 62 companies were registered to export pangasius to the U.S., only 10 were shipping products. VASEP said just three of those businesses had “considerable export volume.”
As a result, even though the U.S. still serves as the top destination for Vietnamese producers, VASEP reported the country is shipping more product to China.
“The non-tariff barrier, that is the USDA catfish program, is designed solely to illegally benefit the catfish lobby while dragging down safe, legal, growing agriculture trade with Vietnam,” Gavin Gibbons, vice president of communications for NFI.
This is not the first time Vietnam has sought WTO intervention with the US over seafood exports. Last month, it filed a complaint over anti-dumping regulations and determinations regarding fish fillets. In addition, the two nations have had disputes regarding shrimp.
The USDA’s catfish inspection program may be on borrowed time. In its 2019 budget request, the USDA announced it wanted the Farm Bill authorizations repealed and that catfish inspections return under the sole auspices of the FDA. The USDA said it was one of several programs it sought to eliminate in order to reduce spending.
SeafoodSource
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(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.
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