Vietnam resumes U.S. distillers grain imports

Vietnam will once again start accepting imports of U.S. distillers dried grains (DDGS), after it had suspended these shipments in December 2016 due to a detection of quarantine pests.    Vietnam will once again start accepting imports of U.S. distillers dried grains (DDGS), after it had suspended these shipments in December 2016 due to a detection of quarantine pests. 
   Prior to the suspension, Vietnam was the third largest market for U.S. DDGS, with exports valued at more than $230 million in 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  
   The USDA also said the resolution of this issue “opens the way for corn and wheat shipments, which were restricted due to previous treatment requirements.” 
   From 2007 to 2016, U.S. DDGS exports grew from $392 million to $2.16 billion. DDGS, which are a by-product of ethanol production, are often used in animal feed. 
   The DDGS ban is one of several agricultural trade priorities raised during a visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s to Washington in May, where he met with President Trump, as well as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. After the meetings, the U.S. and Vietnamese governments released a joint statement pledging to resolve the DDGS issue.
   Following the Vietnamese DDGS suspension, representatives from USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) engaged in technical discussions with Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding alternative treatment options that would allow U.S. exports to restart. APHIS and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Federal Grain Inspection Service also worked with the industry to host a delegation of Vietnamese officials to view the U.S. fumigation and export infrastructure for DDGS.
   Meanwhile, the United States continues to work with Vietnam to address other agricultural trade issues, such as Vietnam’s adoption of Codex Maximum Residue Limits for veterinary drugs and removal of the country’s ban on white offal or “variety” meats which are made from animal organs.