Vietnam is building a solid foundation of laws and notification procedures regarding food, animal health and plant health with assistance from the U.S. Grains Council and the Food and Agriculture Export Alliance (FAEA).

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules are primarily designed to address food and health safety issues, but they also affect international trade. When an emerging economy like Vietnam develops consistent rules that meet its international World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations, a secondary result is clear and consistent SPS rules for agricultural imports and exports.

Currently, USGC efforts are focused on how Vietnam’s SPS network will operate, on training and notification processes, and on new SPS laws and decrees that are in the pipeline. Since joining the WTO in 2007, Vietnam has submitted 22 SPS notifications to the WTO, a significant accomplishment.

The Council is also tracking a new Vietnamese food law (passed this year), animal and plant health laws that are under development and Circular 25, a government resolution that includes goals for managing imports and exports.

The Council is one of five members of FAEA, which was established in 2004 with funding from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. It began as an effort to identify export issues of concern to all five groups: the Council, American Soybean Association, U.S. Meat Export Federation, USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, and U.S. Dairy Export Council.

FAEA works to avoid duplication and pursue opportunities, such as achieving trade-friendly SPS regulations that transcend individual commodity interests.