Vietnam asks United States to reconsider seafood export ban

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HANOI, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Vietnam has asked the United States to reconsider a decision that could lead to a ban on some Vietnamese seafood exports to the American market starting next year, a potential blow to an economy already hit by U.S. tariffs.

Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien on Monday sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to ask for the "reconsideration" of an August decision by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which determined that some of Vietnam's fishing methods posed risks to marine mammals, the ministry said in a statement.

The United States is among Vietnam's largest seafood markets, with January-August exports rising 6.9% from a year earlier to $1.24 billion, accounting for 17.3% of Vietnam's total seafood shipments, according to Vietnam's customs data.

NOAA last month notified Vietnam's agriculture ministry that it had declined to grant a "comparability finding" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for 12 Vietnamese fishing methods, according to the statement.

"Nations whose fisheries were denied comparability findings are prohibited from exporting fish and fish product from those fisheries into the U.S. beginning January 1, 2026," NOAA had said earlier.

The ministry statement said the ban would hurt Vietnam's key seafood exports, including tuna, swordfish, grouper, mackerel, mullet, crab and squid.

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The United States, Vietnam's largest export market, imposed a 20% tariff on Vietnamese exports starting August 7, while transshipments through Vietnam from third countries face a levy of 40%.

August exports from Vietnam to the U.S. fell 2% from July to $13.94 billion, according to Vietnamese customs data.

"Vietnam considers the United States an important trade partner ... Vietnam is committed to continuing to work closely with the United States to resolve outstanding issues in a constructive and forward-looking spirit," Dien said in the letter.

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