American farmers want more access to Vietnamese market: official

Vietnam is willing to maintain dialogue on tariff issues with the US with a view to creating a more favourable and mutually beneficial trading environment.

A view of the US Department of Agriculture’s meeting with foreign press in New York. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The US is seeking greater access to the Vietnamese market, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Luke J. Lindberg has said.

Speaking at a press briefing at the US Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on November 25, Lindberg said American farmers were enthusiastic about the prospect of expanding exports to Vietnam. He noted that Vietnam is already one of the largest agricultural exporters to the US, but that current tariff levels remain a barrier to trade in both directions.

Regarding the possibility of Washington lowering import tariffs on Vietnamese farm produce in the near future, Lindberg confirmed that the two countries had reached agreement on a framework arrangement. He said the administration of President Donald Trump, together with its negotiating team, was working intensively towards a more detailed and comprehensive agreement. Greater access for US agricultural goods to the Vietnamese market, he added, would contribute to rebalancing bilateral trade.
In a related statement, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the US would continue to prioritise support for emerging and developing economies in modernising agriculture and transitioning towards market-oriented growth. This will be delivered through technical assistance programmes under the USDA, including Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole and export credit guarantees. These initiatives, she said, are helping improve productivity, build value chains and expand commercial linkages, as reflected in notable progress seen in Kenya, Ethiopia and Vietnam.

Speaking later at a round-table discussion, Minister-Counsellor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the UN, said agricultural cooperation remains a key pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the US. Vietnam, he stressed, looks forward to strengthening substantive cooperation with the US based on shared interests, sustainability and transparency.

He noted Vietnam’s recognition of the US role and its support for a number of US-led multilateral initiatives, expressing readiness to engage further, particularly within the UN framework, to promote food security, economic growth, fair trade and environmental resilience. Vietnam, he added, values its status as a priority country under the Food for Progress Programme and hopes to continue cooperation in this area.

The diplomat also underlined Vietnam’s willingness to maintain dialogue on tariff issues with a view to creating a more favourable and mutually beneficial trading environment./.

VNA