At a regular press conference on the afternoon of September 25, Ms. Pham Thu Hang, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke about the US's refusal to recognize the equivalent for 12 Vietnamese fishing vessels.
The spokesperson said that this decision could cause serious disruptions to bilateral trade relations and directly affect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of fishermen as well as workers in the Vietnamese seafood industry.
Previously, on September 15, Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien sent a letter to the US Secretary of Commerce, requesting the US Department of Commerce and the US Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to reconsider the law on refusing to recognize equivalent. Vietnam emphasized its desire to maintain fair and sustainable trade, and affirmed its readiness to coordinate with the US side to resolve existing problems.
Ms. Hang emphasized that under the direction of the Government, the Vietnamese seafood industry has made efforts to modernize exploitation methods, strengthen fisheries management and enhance responsibility in the production process. Based on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam hopes that the US will consider objectively, while creating conditions to continue promoting two-way trade, ensuring legitimate benefits for people and businesses of both countries.
According to NOAA on August 26, some Vietnamese seafood products have been recognized as equivalent under the US marine animal Protection Act (MMPA). However, this agency refused to recognize 12 other fishing groups. This means that related seafood species will be stopped being imported into the US from January 1, 2026, severely affecting many key Vietnamese products such as tuna, swordfish, mackerel, mackerel, herring, crab, squid and captive fish.
