Socialist Republic of Vietnam

On February 24, 2010, the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington D.C hosted the 4th Meeting of ASEAN Agricultural Attachés (the AAA Meeting). The AAA Meeting is an informal gathering of agricultural, economic and trade officials from Washington-based ASEAN Embassies who meet on a regular basis, either quarterly or permitted by Embassies’ agenda, to share information on ASEAN member countries’ agro-trade relations with the United States and to discuss current and future issues pertaining to the relevant US government rules and policies.

The previous three meetings were hosted in 2009 by Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, respectively in March, June and August. The 4th AAA Meeting for the first time were attended by 21 representatives from 10 ASEAN Embassies and 4 officials from United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) who talked about issues of interest to the US trading partners, including the ASEAN countries. From Vietnam Embassy, there were 8 participants from various sections, headed by Deputy Chief of Mission Nguyen Tien Minh.

In his welcome remarks, H.E. Ambassador Le Cong Phung noted the importance of agriculture in the ASEAN economies in general, and the need to share information and discuss issues relevant to ASEAN agro-trade with the US in particular. He emphazised the role of ASEAN Embassies in promoting agro-trade with the US, especially in finding effective ways to increase the group’s agroexports to this vital market and to fight potential protectionism. He thougtht that the AAA Meetings is a useful forum which would, to a certain extent, contribute to the overall objectives of strengthening friendship among the ASEAN countries.

The Agricultural Attache from Malaysia, on behalf of the AAAs, thanked the Ambassador for his words and briefed him on what the AAAs did in 2009 and what the group is planning to do this year. He also raised his own suggestion of integrating the AAA format into the Washington ASEAN Embassy Committee framework.

In the course of the meeting, participants from Vietnam Embassy informed the participants of Vietnam’s recent request to WTO for consultation with the US Government concerning the latter’s imposition of antidumping duty on Vietnam’s frozen shrimp, dating back in 2005 which Vietnam views as not only unfair, but also inconsistent with the WTO rules. Latest development on the 2008 Farm Bill implementation regulation on catfish safety inspection being drafted by the United States Department of Agriculture was also shared with the participants, in which a danger of double standard treatment by the US government to Vietnamese fish species of tra and basa is looming. On this issue, participants from Thailand suggested a meeting with officials from USDA relevant offices to further clarify the situation.

Participants also shared the experience in selling fresh fruits and vegetables to the US, in which participants from Thailand highlighted a new and unsolved difficulty in customs clearance at the Long Beach Port of California against Thai fresh fruits and vegetables, which has been creating unexpected delays and harms the competiveness these Thai exports in the US market. Further development on this issue and how it is to be handled in the coming months would be shared with the participants in the next AAA meeting which would also discuss the latest development on the issues relating to Vietnam and other ASEAN countries. The fifth AAA Meeting may be hosted by Malaysia, pending further confirmation from the host.

At closing, Deputy Chief of Mission Nguyen Tien Minh commended the way the AAA Meetings are conducted, and once again stated the Embassy of Vietnam’s commitment of support to the Meeting’s current informal format and plan. He reminded the participants that ASEAN is aiming to become a community by 2015, and said that the Embassy of Vietnam will continue to host the AAA Meeting when its turn comes./.