Hopes Pinned on End of USDA Catfish Inspections

If the resolution passes the House of Representatives, it will still have to be signed by President Obama to become law. This is the first important step to abolishing the catfish inspection programme.

 

The catfish inspection programme was first legalised by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (also known as the 2008 US Farm Bill). Accordingly, the US Congress included catfish into mandatory inspection programme applicable to high-risk foods like red meat and poultry. Controversies over this ruling were food safety incidents at that time which were unrelated to catfish, thus arousing suspicions of import restrictions to protect the US catfish industry.

 

Based on the 2014 Farm Bill, the USDA issued an official ruling on the catfish inspection programme on December 2, 2015. The programme took effect on March 1, 2016 with a transitional period of 18 months before taking full effect on September 1, 2017.

 

The programme included catfish from the low-risk sector to the high-risk sector and inspection authority was transferred from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to USDA. To be certified, a catfish unit must be inspected, assessed and certified by USDA officials. Inspection, assessment and certification are periodical.

 

The Vietnamese Ministry of Finance affirmed that the catfish inspection programme is an unnecessary and protective programme which is not good for American consumers and harms fine-growing economic - trade ties between Vietnam and the US. It may also go against the US’s commitments to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

 

There are no detailed statistics of added expenses arising from the application of this programme to Vietnamese catfish. But, USDA official reception, experiment, sampling expenses and many others are significant. According to some preliminary reports, the compliance with USDA regulations will increase at least 10 per cent of product price.

 

Besides, a non-compliance conclusion from the USDA, which is highly likely, will prevent Vietnamese catfish producers and processors from exporting to the US.

 

Since the catfish inspection programme was enforced, the Government of Vietnam repeatedly requested the US to review this programme. Vietnamese ministries have sent many letters and hosted bilateral meetings with the USDA, the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to raise voices against this programme. This issue was mentioned by Vietnam and partially processed by the US in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, but the decision by the US Senate on June 25, 2016 will be the first important step towards ending this catfish inspection programme completely.

 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam hoped that the resolution abolishing the catfish inspection programme will be passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law by the US President. If so, this will be a good decision as it not only helps the world community gain confidence in the US’s commitments to the WTO, but also helps consolidate and strengthen Vietnam - US economic and trade relations.