Vietnam comments on information that some seafood products are at risk of being stopped from being imported into the US.

At a regular press conference this afternoon, the press reported that the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently refused to recognize 12 Vietnamese fishing occupations as equivalent to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Seafood exploited in these fishing occupations will be banned from being imported into the US starting January 1, 2026.

This is a measure equivalent to an import ban, greatly affecting the export of many key seafood species from Vietnam to the US such as tuna, swordfish, grouper, mackerel, mullet, crab, squid, mackerel, etc.

Responding to questions, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said that on September 15, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien sent a letter to the US Secretary of Commerce, requesting the US Department of Commerce and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to reconsider the decision to refuse to recognize the equivalence of 12 Vietnamese seafood exploitation occupations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The proposal aims to avoid serious disruptions to bilateral trade and protect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fishermen and workers, the spokesman said.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang responded at a press conference this afternoon. Photo: TM

The spokesperson stated that in recent times, under the direction of the Government and the support of localities, the Vietnamese seafood industry has made efforts to modernize, improve responsibility, and strengthen fisheries management.

"In the coming time, on the basis of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam is willing to discuss and work with the US side to remove existing obstacles and continue to promote fair and sustainable bilateral trade cooperation, ensuring the legitimate interests of people and businesses of both sides," said Ms. Pham Thu Hang.

In the letter, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien also requested US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to pay attention and consider objectively to ensure reasonable results for Vietnamese shrimp exporting enterprises, which are reliable partners and do fair business in the US market, in the ongoing 19th administrative review of anti-dumping tax on shrimp imported from Vietnam.

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien also emphasized that the above decisions are not only meaningful for Vietnamese production and export enterprises, farmers and fishermen, but also bring benefits to American importers, workers and consumers.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/viet-nam-binh-luan-truoc-thong-tin-mot-so-hai-san-nguy-co-bi-dung-nhap-vao-my-2446131.html