US Under Secretary of Agriculture Ted McKinney (Photo: VNA)

The two agreed that phone talks between Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President Donald Trump and between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have created momentum for the bilateral partnerships.

Ambassador Ngoc said Vietnam is carrying out an action plan to promote harmonious and sustainable trade between the two nations. He said Vietnam is committed to further opening the Vietnamese market and purchasing more goods and services, including agricultural products, from the US. Mr. Ngoc asked the US to license Vietnam’s fresh pomelos, allow the Hanoi Irradiation Centre to irradiate fresh fruits for export, and permit the use of steam as a method for handling fruits destined for the US.

Mr. McKinney praised Vietnam’s implementation of recent agricultural cooperation agreements and said the US Government supports the use of safe agricultural chemicals, including products containing glyphosate. He asked Vietnam to look at the regulations related to certificates of free sale (CFS) in Decree 13, which guides enforcement of the Law on Animal Husbandry.