(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026 on August 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlighted the important role of the exhibition in connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers, and partners from the United States and around the world.
U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlights opportunities for U.S.–Vietnam at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026
Attending the opening ceremony of VIETFISH 2026, U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown expressed her pleasure at being part of what is considered Vietnam’s leading seafood exhibition.
According to Melissa Brown, VIETFISH provides a valuable platform for connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers and partners in the United States and around the world.
She emphasized that Vietnam’s aquaculture industry is known for its competitiveness and ingenuity, making the country one of the world’s leading seafood suppliers. The United States is pleased to be part of this success story by supplying high-quality soybean meal and other aquaculture feed ingredients to Vietnamese seafood producers.
Seafood Trade Helps Strengthen Vietnam–U.S. Economic Relations
Consul General Melissa Brown noted that Vietnam is also a seafood-loving country, where consumers enjoy seafood from around the world.
According to her remarks, U.S. seafood exports to Vietnam increased by 77% in 2025 to US$114 million. Products such as U.S. lobster, salmon, cod, crab and many other seafood items have become increasingly popular among Vietnamese consumers, who value the quality and safety of U.S. seafood.
Melissa Brown emphasized that cooperation and trade in the seafood sector are only one part of the strong and growing economic relationship between the United States and Vietnam.
In 2025, bilateral trade reached nearly US$210 billion, more than 400 times higher than when the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1995. Vietnam is currently the seventh-largest trading partner of the United States globally and the sixth-largest agricultural export market for the United States.
Significant Opportunities to Further Strengthen Trade Relations
Looking ahead, the U.S. Consul General said the two countries have significant opportunities to further deepen and strengthen their trade relationship.
Melissa Brown noted that Vietnam has set ambitious goals of reaching upper-middle-income status by 2030 and becoming a high-income economy by 2045. The United States believes in free, fair and reciprocal trade and hopes to be an important partner in Vietnam’s success story.
According to the U.S. Consul General, VIETFISH can provide a valuable platform to help both sides advance their shared vision of a more prosperous future.