Lawmakers Seek Level Playing Field in Vietnam for U.S. Pork
Vietnam needs pork and U.S. pork producers have the answer. Unfortunately trade barriers continue to stand in the way. On May 5, more than 70 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai seeking her support for enhanced Vietnamese market access for U.S. pork.
“Vietnam represents a significant opportunity for U.S. hog farmers, yet we’re hamstrung by unjustified tariff and non-tariff barriers, allowing global competitors to take advantage of the supply shortfall,” National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Jen Sorenson said in a release.
Vietnam’s domestic pork production industry is struggling with African swine fever, but unwarranted tariff and non-tariff barriers restrict the U.S. from supplying this major pork-consuming nation with affordable, high-quality pork, the letter explained.
“Domestic pork producers need a level playing field to compete in this critical market, particularly after being devastated by trade retaliation and the global pandemic,” the letter noted.
In 2020, Vietnam took an initial step forward in addressing the U.S. pork tariff disadvantage when, from July-December 2020, it temporarily reduced its Most Favored Nation tariff rates from 15% to 10% for frozen U.S. pork products.
The result? U.S. pork exports doubled during that timeframe, compared to the first half of the year.
“The surge in exports during the tariff reprieve, coupled with Vietnam’s growing population and cultural preference for high-quality pork, demonstrates that the United States is barely scratching the surface of its export potential to Vietnam,” the letter explained.
Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms in West Des Moines, Iowa, thanked Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) for their support in recognizing the importance of the Vietnamese market to U.S. pork producers.
More from Farm Journal's PORK:
It’s Anyone’s Game: How Will the U.S. Pork Industry Diversify Pork Exports?
U.S. Pork Hamstrung By Tariff, Non-Tariff Trade Barriers to Vietnam
