WASHINGTON — Việt Nam’s Minister of Agriculture and Environment Đỗ Đức Duy is leading a delegation of nearly 50 agricultural agencies, enterprises and associations on a working trip to the US from June 1 to 7, aimed at exploring trade promotion opportunities and importing US agro-forestry-fishery products.

Duy and his delegation held a productive working session with Iowa's Department of Agriculture on June 2, with the participation of state Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig and Deputy Secretary Grant Menke.

At the event, both sides acknowledged the current state of agricultural trade cooperation while sharing information about business needs and collaboration potential. The discussions opened concrete pathways to promote high-quality agricultural exports from Iowa to Việt Nam and vice versa.

Iowa, known as the 'Heart of Agriculture' in the US, stands as the nation's leading corn producer with an annual output of 50 million tonnes. The state also excels in producing many other agricultural commodities like soybeans, wheat, pork and beef.

Duy said that Việt Nam had become one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters, contributing significantly to global food security, while expanding its processing capacity and improving quality standards to develop sustainable agriculture. He emphasised that "Việt Nam and the US are well positioned to complement each other in building stable and long-term agricultural supply chains".

A major achievement for the trade mission lies in several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed between Vietnamese and Iowan enterprises and associations totalling US$800 million over three years. These are significant deals compared to the $44 million of agricultural exports from Iowa to Việt Nam in 2024.

The public–private partnership between Iowa and Việt Nam will also be expanded through an MoU between the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health under Việt Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA).

Under this agreement, both sides committed to strengthening trade ties and promoting collaboration between Việt Nam's and Iowa's pork industries by organising technical seminars, market promotion and trade missions.

The meeting also provided opportunities for many other Vietnamese and US businesses to connect, opening new avenues to enhance trade relations and strengthen Việt Nam – US agricultural supply chain linkages. These connections are expected to accelerate the transfer of advanced US technologies to Vietnamese agribusinesses, paving the way towards green, smart and sustainable agricultural development in Việt Nam.

Duy expressed his confidence that these events marked the beginning of a new and more effective chapter in the relationship between Vietnamese businesses and the state of Iowa. He stressed that these results reflect mutual goodwill in promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Việt Nam and the US.

During its mission in the American state, the delegation is also expected to sign MoUs to purchase US agricultural products worth over $2 billion.

Duy told the press that over the past decade, the US had been Việt Nam's largest agricultural export market. Conversely, Việt Nam ranked among the top 10 markets importing agricultural products from the US. He stressed that the potential for bilateral agricultural trade cooperation remained enormous. Both governments were currently working to negotiate a reciprocal trade agreement aimed at achieving balanced, mutually beneficial terms.

The agriculture minister underscored Việt Nam’s commitment to deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership not just in words but through tangible actions, particularly in trade and investment, with agricultural trade as a central pillar.

Meanwhile, Naig stated that along with the five signed documents, the meeting presented another opportunity for both sides to collaborate more in innovation sharing and technology advancement in agriculture. — VNS