HÀ NỘI — Minister of Agriculture and Environment Đỗ Đức Duy is leading a delegation of nearly 50 representatives from Vietnamese Government agencies, businesses and agricultural associations to the US from June 1-7, with stops planned in Iowa, Ohio and Washington D.C.

The visit aims to strengthen bilateral trade relations and explore opportunities to expand imports of US agro-forestry-fishery products, in a move to balance bilateral trade. Alongside their procurement efforts, Vietnamese businesses are also looking to acquire sci-tech solutions to enhance the agricultural value chain.

Minister Duy noted that while both Việt Nam and the US have strengths in agriculture, their products complement rather than compete directly with each other.

He stressed that with active engagement from both governments, the countries’ farming sectors are becoming increasingly interconnected, sharing supply chains, enhancing competitiveness and ultimately benefiting producers and consumers alike.

Vietnamese businesses are strongly supporting the Government’s efforts by increasing imports of key American agricultural products, helping to balance bilateral trade, strengthening the integration of the two countries' agricultural supply chains and ensuring global food security, he said.

As many as 18 memorandums of understanding have been signed since early 2020 for Vietnamese enterprises to purchase US agricultural, forestry and seafood products, with a total value of US$6 billion, of which $3 billion has already been disbursed.

Both countries are also working actively to open up markets for mutual fruit exports. Việt Nam is among the first eight Asian countries to accept US biotech crop varieties. In addition, the Government’s Decree No 73/2025/NĐ-CP, effective from March 31, has reduced tariffs on key US agro-forestry-fishery exports to zero, with bilateral trade in these sectors growing around 10 per cent annually over the past decade.

On the US’s recent announcement of a 10 per cent tariff on Vietnamese exports effective April 2, and the possible imposition of reciprocal tariffs of up to 46 per cent starting July 9, Nguyễn Đỗ Anh Tuấn, Director General of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said these measures are likely to erode profit margins and reduce competitiveness for both Vietnamese and American businesses.

The tariffs risk disrupting the agricultural and forestry supply chains that both sides have worked so hard to establish. Moreover, as these products are essential commodities, any price increases would negatively impact US low-income consumers in particular, he said. — VNS