As part of his working trip to the United States, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy held separate meetings on June 5 (local time) with Senator John Boozman, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Congressman Glenn GT Thompson, Chair of the House Agriculture Committee.

 During the meetings, Minister Duy provided updates on the delegation’s trip and highlighted the complementary nature of agricultural development in Vietnam and the US. He noted that while US agriculture is highly advanced and largely automated, Vietnam’s agriculture sector has grown rapidly in recent years and is eager to import quality seeds, raw materials, and modern technology from the US. At the same time, Vietnamese agricultural products such as coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, shrimp, fish and wood products have established a strong presence in the US market. Minister Duy expressed hope that the US will continue to maintain favorable tariffs and streamlined procedures to support wider market access for these export items.

Vietnam has to date approved investment for 509 US agricultural enterprises and granted export licenses to 302 US firms. It is also among the first eight Asian nations to recognize and approve US genetically modified crops, with 61 dossiers cleared. Since April 1, 2025, Vietnam reduced import tariffs to zero on most US corn and soybean products.

As part of efforts to explore, connect and boost agricultural trade between the two countries, the Minister was accompanied by department heads and around 30 Vietnamese companies involved in grain, meat, fertilizer, crop protection, and wood processing, all hoping to boost the import of US agricultural products.

In Iowa and Ohio, the Vietnamese delegation signed contracts and memoranda of understanding worth an estimated US$1.5 billion. Further agreements valued at around US$1.1 billion are expected to be signed during a business dialogue with the US–ASEAN Business Council on June 6 in Washington.

Minister Duy called on the two lawmakers to support bilateral partnerships in agriculture, and cooperation between industry associations and businesses. He also expressed Vietnam’s interest in learning from the US model in developing a sustainable, green and circular agriculture sector that uses natural resources more efficiently.

Both committee chairs welcomed the progress of the visit and expressed optimism about the future of agricultural cooperation between the two countries. Senator Boozman, who previously visited Vietnam, described the country as a reliable economic partner of the US in the Asia–Pacific region.

He voiced support for a balanced trade agreement and pledged to forward the delegation’s proposals to relevant US agencies. Congressman Thompson also showed great interest in the new agricultural trade deals and affirmed his backing for deeper cooperation, not only among state agencies but also between academic and research institutions in both countries.

The two lawmakers invited Minister Duy to visit their home states-Arkansas and Pennsylvania, which both have well-developed agricultural sectors, to explore new opportunities and build on the growing Vietnam–US partnership.

Source: VOV