Vietnam

Trade Dominance or Trade Domino? Trump Announces Trade Deal with Vietnam

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 19:10:44 GMT

Less than a week before the Trump administration’s 90-day pause on many reciprocal tariffs with several countries is set to expire, President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Vietnam on Wednesday. The deal, according to Trump, allows the U.S. “total access” to Vietnam’s markets with a zero tariff on U.S. products exported to Vietnam.

A deal with Vietnam could benefit U.S. commodities that face higher tariffs, including fruits, nuts, pork and beef exports.

The president made the announcement on his Truth Social site, saying Vietnam will pay the U.S. a 20% tariff on any goods sent into the U.S. and a 40% tariff on any goods that originate in another country and then are transferred to Vietnam before coming to the U.S.

🚨 pic.twitter.com/i35oMvbEvW
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 2, 2025

When trade talks started with Vietnam last month, Vietnamese officials had pledged to boost purchases of American goods, including farm products and energy. However, no specific trade volumes were announced with the trade deal.

What’s the potential for agriculture? Dan Basse, founder and president of AgResource Company, says this could help gain greater access for fruits, nuts and horticulture products, which have tariffs ranging from 15% to 20%, versus corn, soybeans and soybean meal.

“In the case of corn and soybeans and meal and wheat, we’re talking about tariffs today that are 1% to 2%, that’ll go to zero, so it’s something, don’t get me wrong, it’s 5¢ or 10¢ in a bushel of corn, maybe 7¢ to 12¢ on beans, but it is not the panacea that’s going to get a lot of Vietnamese demand going forward,” Basse says.

The trade deal came as a bit of a surprise on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier this week that while the focus of the administration is getting the One Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line this week, that focus shifts back to trade next week. Bessent warned countries could be notified of sharply higher tariffs as a deadline approaches.

Is this trade deal the start of a domino of trade deals that could fall ahead of next week’s deadline? It’s possible, but Stand Grain’s Joe Vaclavik says many more are needed to shift the sentiment in the commodity market to a bullish tone.

“Get a trade deal with China that mirrors Phase One, that includes large purchase agreements, then it’s a game changer,” Vaclavik says. “But anything less than that, as of right now, I don’t think is going be a market mover or a game changer from a supply and demand standpoint.”

Vaclavik agrees with Basse, in that Vietnam alone isn’t a huge demand story for corn and soybeans.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of these announcements like with Vietnam where it sounds great, but Vietnam consumed 16 million metric tons of corn last year. That’s not enough to really put them on the map as something that’s going to move the market. You need a China, a country who consumes 300 million metric tons of corn per year to come in and agree to agree and also agree to buy. And that’s how you move the needle.”

Push for More Protein?

Protein exports are also an area of opportunity. U.S. dairy exports have shown strong growth into Vietnam, with increases in nonfat dry milk powder, whey, and lactose.

As for meat exports, figures from the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) show shipments to Vietnam in 2024 included:

5,052 metric tons of beef and beef variety meat valued at $43 million
and 4,662 metric tons of pork and variety meat with a value of $10 million.

The U.S. current ranks fifth in top exporters to Vietnam, but it’s key to note the U.S. is the largest trading partner with Vietnam that does not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). With talks of tariff reductions, it could hep make U.S. pork more competitively priced compared to big competitors like Brazil, the European Union and Canada. Those countries currently have duty-free access to Vietnam.

The current tariff rates vary by product, including:

Chilled beef carcass/ ½ carcass: 30%
Chilled beef bone-in: 20%
Chilled beef boneless: 14%,
Frozen beef bone-in/frozen carcass 20%
Frozen boneless beef: 14%
Chilled pork: 22%
Frozen pork: 10%
Offal: 8%.

Fact sheet on meat exports to Vietnam

(USMEF )

Vietnam’s Growing Population

Farm Journal’s Michelle Rook visited Vietnam earlier this year and saw firsthand the potential growth. Vietnam has a 100 million people and a growing middle class looking to add protein to their diet. With limited soybean crushing capacity, the country currently depends on soybean meal imports for their livestock and aquaculture feed needs.

She reports the country’s soy processing industry is small with only four plants, which import 2 million tons of soybeans annually, including from the U.S. According to Rook’s reporting, that could be an area where soybean exports could grow, fueling Vietnam’s growing aquaculture and livestock production.

You can read and watch Rook’s in-depth reporting here .

Sunkist, other California orange shippers access Vietnam

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:23:31 GMT

Valencia, Calif.-based Sunkist Growers Inc. will be among California growers exporting navel oranges to Vietnam starting this season.

“We are very excited to bring our fresh and juicy navel oranges to Vietnam,” Jim Phillips, Sunkist president and CEO, said in a news release.

Vietnam is the ninth-largest importer of U.S. fresh fruit, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, so the addition of oranges should contribute to that growth, according to the release.

The trade program with Vietnam was finalized late last year, after agriculture officials from that country visited California orchards and developed phytosanitary protocols that growers must follow, said Casey Creamer, president of Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual.

“Now we have access to Vietnam for oranges as long as those protocols are in place,” he said.

“Sunkist’s entry to Vietnam is very timely as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship, one major aspect of which is agricultural trade between the two countries,” Benjamin Petlock, USDA senior agricultural attaché, said in the release.

“Sunkist Growers, among many other brands, have worked diligently for years with our government partners in Vietnam to bring in high-quality, healthy and safe fresh U.S. oranges into the market, and finally gaining market entry is a huge accomplishment,” he said.

California navels will be available in Vietnam from October through June.

Sunkist plans to build relationships with Vietnam’s top fruit distributors and retailers, according to the release.

Related stories:

Japan imports of U.S. oranges expected to grow modestly

California citrus rebounds from ‘worst year ever’

Sunkist Growers promotes in national, regional sales positions

California blueberries heading to Vietnam

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:04:10 GMT

California blueberries grown under the T&G Orchard Rd brand are being sent to Vietnam for the first time.

The pallet of the blueberries (192 trays) went from LAX in Los Angeles to Ho Chi Min City in mid-June, according to a news release. Weekly shipments are slated to follow, according to the release, through the end of the season in September. Until earlier this year, U.S. blueberries were not allowed into the country.

T&G Global, a New Zealand grower and apple exporter, works with multiple supply regions, including California. Orchard Rd Blueberries will also be shipped from Oregon and Washington.

T&G has been exporting grapes and apples to Vietnam for 10 years, said Piers Hanbury, T&G Global commercial manager of North America.

“We are confident that this will become a significant market in future for us,” he said in the release. “It will likely take some time to educate consumers about the benefits of blueberries but in time it could take off like it has in China and other Asian markets,” Hanbury said in the release.

USDA okays imports of pummelo citrus from Vietnam

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:45:44 GMT

Starting immediately, USDA has authorized U.S. imports of fresh pummelo fruit from Vietnam.

The agency said, based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, fresh pummelo fruit from Vietnam can be safely imported with designated phytosanitary measures.

In an economic summary of the action, USDA said Vietnam produced about 45,000 tons of pummelo in 2019.

The main export market for Vietnam pummelo is China, with exports totaling about 1,000 tons, the economic summary said. Total fresh fruit imports into the U.S. from Vietnam are about 5,000 metric tons, and the added volume of Vietnam pummelo fruits exported to the U.S. could be several hundred metric tons per year. Two hundred metric tons would be the equivalent of 1% of California’s pummelo production, USDA said.

Agricultural statistics for California do report that the area planted in pummelo and hybrid groves in 2016/17 totaled 1,587 acres.

With about 100 growers, California’s pummelo production in 2017 totaled 19,595 metric tons with a farmgate value of $9.04 million.

Because the U.S. produces a very small amount of pummelo fruits, the rule will not directly affect U.S. fruit farmers, the economic summary concluded.

U.S. importers and wholesalers of pummelos, businesses categorized within the fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesale industry will benefit from having an additional source for importing fresh pummelo fruit, the agency said.

Limoneira opens sales office in Vietnam

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:45:19 GMT

Limoneira Co. , Santa Paula, Calif., has opened a Southeast Asia Regional Sales office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Asia Pacific Regional Manager Francis Lee has been hired to head the office, according to a news release.

John Carter, vice president of Global Sales, said the company has seen significant growth in Southeast Asia, and the local representation will extend the company’s reach into foodservice and retail customers.

“This addition is also a function of our overall growth in Asia and will allow us to focus our current sales resources more on the Far East markets,” Carter said in the release.

Alex Teague, chief operating officer, said Limoneira has been exporting into the Asia Pacific region for more than 60 years.

“The growth of both established markets and emerging markets is a key component of our One World of Citrus strategy,” Teague said in the release. “Francis’ knowledge of the entire region is extensive, and we are more than excited that he has joined the team.”

Canadian company recalls red chilis

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:43:33 GMT

A Canadian company has recalled red chilis from Vietnam for potentially containing salmonella.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency posted the information on its website about the recall Jan. 20. Canada Herb, Etobicoke, Ontario, imported the peppers from Vina Fruits & Herb Co., Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, according to the CFIA.

The red chilis were distributed to retailers in Ontario. The packs have no lot codes. Pack dates affected are Jan. 20 and everything dated before then, according to the recall notice. The recall has been designated as a Class II, which denotes “moderate risk,” according to the CFIA.

This chilis may have also been sold in bulk or in smaller packages with or without a label and may not bear the brand or product name, according to the Canadian agency.

“Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the affected product are advised to contact their retailer,” according to the notice.

The CFIA did not report at what point in the supply chain the salmonella was detected.