Source: Nongnghiep.vn
Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh and a delegation of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development visited and worked with Deputy Minister Hafemaister and colleagues from the US Department of Agriculture.
Within the framework of the working visit of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation at the United Nations General Assembly from September 21-25, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh had a number of meetings. Working with US partners such as International Trade Commission (USITC), Trade Representative Office (USTR), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Grain Council (USGC).
At each meeting, the two sides recognized the potential to promote trade based on the mutual complementarity of agricultural products of the two countries. The United States is Vietnam’s leading agricultural export market, and Vietnam is also among the top largest markets for agricultural products with the advantage of the United States.
In the past 3 years, Vietnam and the United States have made efforts to implement the Action Plan of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) to open the market and create favorable conditions for trade in agricultural products. two countries.
The US side has opened the market for some tropical fruits, applied the catfish equivalent recognition system, creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to grasp information and access the US market. .
Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh and the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam worked with the United States Trade Organization (USTR).
In the coming time, the US side will continue to consider opening the market for Vietnam’s pomelo and passion fruit, as well as consider applying an equivalence recognition system for seafood products in general.
On the contrary, Vietnam has opened the market for fruit products with strengths of the United States such as apples, grapes, pears, nectarines, etc., with registration certificates for US meat and seafood exporters. , certification of biotech products, import tax exemption and reduction for animal feed ingredients.
The US partners all consider Vietnam to be an extremely reliable partner of the US when implementing trade commitments in the agricultural sector. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has actively organized a series of meetings between enterprises importing and exporting agricultural products of the two countries, which resulted in 18 Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in agricultural trade between enterprises. Vietnam and the United States have been signed and seriously implemented since February 2020.
Thanks to the efforts of both sides, agricultural trade between the two countries has increased from 8 billion USD in 2017 to 12.8 billion USD in 2020, growing at 60% after 3 years. In the context of the complicated COVID-19 pandemic, but in the first 8 months of 2021, agricultural trade between the two countries reached 10.9 billion USD, up 41.5% over the same period in 2021. 
Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh holds talks with US International Trade Commission Chairman Jason Kearns.
Besides cooperation in promoting agricultural trade, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh also emphasized cooperation in agricultural science and technology during the meeting with Deputy Minister Hafemaister of the US Department of Agriculture. Vietnam welcomes and is willing to work closely with the United States in the application of new technological achievements of mankind in the agricultural field such as biotechnology, vaccine technology to prevent diseases on livestock, sustainable agricultural production process, biodiversity….
As a country severely affected by climate change and extreme weather, Vietnam welcomes the United States’ re-entry into the Paris Agreement on climate change and strengthens its commitment to accelerating global efforts to respond to climate change. deal with climate change.
Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to participating in the US initiative on “Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate – AIM for Climate”. At the same time, Vietnam welcomed the US initiative on the Coalition of Action on Sustainable Productivity Growth for Food Security and Resource Conservation – Coalition of Action on Sustainable Productivity Growth for Food Security and Resource Conservation – SPG).
This cooperation will greatly support the transformation of Vietnam’s agriculture towards a greener and more sustainable direction in the coming time. Along with this process, the Deputy Minister also proposed the US side to support and introduce large companies to coordinate with Vietnam and the World Economic Forum (WEF) to implement the Public-Private Partnership Initiative. Food Innovation Center in Vietnam for Southeast Asia and the 100 Million Farmers Program Low Emission Practices.
Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of International Cooperation Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding on technical cooperation with Mr. Ryan LeGrand, President of the American Grains Association.
Also on the occasion of the meeting with the US Grain Council, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh witnessed the signing ceremony of a technical cooperation memorandum between the US Grain Council and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam. Under this Memorandum of Understanding, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the US Grain Council will establish a (technical) cooperation relationship in the fields of agriculture and animal feed, production and use of biofuels. study in Vietnam as well as enhance mutual understanding of relevant policies and regulations in accordance with the laws, regulations, policies and development goals of Vietnam.
The American Grain Council will help improve the capacity of managers, Vietnamese importers, feed processing businesses and work in this field to access new technology and trade. New style and new skills to organize production management. The American Grain Council will support medical equipment such as COVID-19 test kits and COVID-19 cures for Vietnamese livestock enterprises.
