Implementation of Vietnam Circular 25 Extended to Sept. 1, 2010

Implementation of Vietnam Circular 25 Extended to Sept. 1, 2010

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has announced that it will delay until Sept. 1, 2010, implementation of unilateral changes to import regulations it announced last week that raised significant concerns among international exporters.

Those concerns were outlined in a letter to MARD signed by ambassadors from Australia, Canada, the European Delegation, New Zealand and the United States which urged Vietnam to utilize World Trade Organization (WTO) procedures, extend the deadline for as long as necessary before enacting any changes to import regulations, and to provide assurances that there would be no trade interruptions during this process.

The notice (Circular 25) from the Government of Vietnam issued last week announced a unilateral change to its import regulations regarding non-processed products – including fresh and frozen pork, beef, poultry and seafood.  As part of these changes, Vietnam has requested that the U.S. government (and other trading partners) provide: 1) a list of establishments eligible to export to Vietnam, 2) detailed information about the U.S. food safety system, and 3) registration by each individual company that wishes to export to Vietnam, including a list of products exported and examples from the establishments’ HACCP plans.  

The original notification stated that Vietnam would begin enforcing these regulations on shipments arriving July 1, 2010.  

USDA and USTR already have begun developing responses to the issues raised in Circular 25.    They are initiating contacts through the Vietnamese embassy in Washington, through FAS/Hanoi, and the WTO SPS Committee meeting in Geneva next week to address the urgency of the issue.

USMEF will provide updates as more information becomes available. If you have questions, please contact Kevin Smith at ksmith@usmef.org or 303-623-6328.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.

Implementation of Vietnam Circular 25 Extended to Sept. 1, 2010

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has announced that it will delay until Sept. 1, 2010, implementation of unilateral changes to import regulations it announced last week that raised significant concerns among international exporters.

Those concerns were outlined in a letter to MARD signed by ambassadors from Australia, Canada, the European Delegation, New Zealand and the United States which urged Vietnam to utilize World Trade Organization (WTO) procedures, extend the deadline for as long as necessary before enacting any changes to import regulations, and to provide assurances that there would be no trade interruptions during this process.

The notice (Circular 25) from the Government of Vietnam issued last week announced a unilateral change to its import regulations regarding non-processed products – including fresh and frozen pork, beef, poultry and seafood.  As part of these changes, Vietnam has requested that the U.S. government (and other trading partners) provide: 1) a list of establishments eligible to export to Vietnam, 2) detailed information about the U.S. food safety system, and 3) registration by each individual company that wishes to export to Vietnam, including a list of products exported and examples from the establishments’ HACCP plans.  

The original notification stated that Vietnam would begin enforcing these regulations on shipments arriving July 1, 2010.  

USDA and USTR already have begun developing responses to the issues raised in Circular 25.    They are initiating contacts through the Vietnamese embassy in Washington, through FAS/Hanoi, and the WTO SPS Committee meeting in Geneva next week to address the urgency of the issue.

USMEF will provide updates as more information becomes available. If you have questions, please contact Kevin Smith at ksmith@usmef.org or 303-623-6328.

# # #

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.

For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.

USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.