Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ (r) meets with US secretary of commerce Wilbur Ross and trade representative Robert Lighthizer on June 26.— VNA/VNS Photo

WASHINGTON — Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ said that the economic, trade and investment cooperation was the focus and driving force of Việt Nam’s relationship with the United States.

He was meeting with US secretary of commerce Wilbur Ross and trade representative Robert Lighthizer on June 26.

The meeting was part of Huệ’s ongoing official visit to the United States from June 25 to June 27.

 He affirmed Việt Nam’s keenness to promote free trade while actively implementing agreements between the two countries and settling existing problems.

He urged the United States to deal with matters of Việt Nam’s concern, including the recognition of Việt Nam’s market economy, anti-dumping and anti-subsidy lawsuits against Vietnamese products such as shrimps, washing machines, solar panels and woven sacks, as well as the exemption of tariff on Việt Nam’s steel and aluminium products.

The US officials said President Donald Trump appreciated Huệ’s visit and the United States recognised that Việt Nam had understood the former’s concerns and taken specific measures to bolster trade ties between the two countries.

They said there was a huge potential and good prospect for collaboration between the two countries and expressed hope that the Vietnamese government would continue to create favourable and fair conditions for US enterprises to access the Vietnamese market.

They also pledged to push for discussions of Huệ’s proposals in relevant agencies of the United States.

US for early recognition of Việt Nam’s rules on catfish management

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working hard to accord early recognition of Việt Nam’s regulatory system on catfish management as equivalent to that of the United States, said first deputy secretary of USDA Stephen Censky.

He affirmed this at a meeting with Huệ on June 26.

Huệ said Việt Nam considered the United States an important trading partner.

He proposed USDA to sign a framework agreement on agricultural cooperation with Việt Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and asked the US agency to be flexible in the process of equivalence assessment and to facilitate Việt Nam’s catfish exports to the United States.

The two countries should enhance joint work in smart agriculture, development of low-emission agriculture production models and models for adapting to and mitigating climate change in highly vulnerable areas, such as the Red River and Mekong deltas in Việt Nam, Huệ said.

Censky thanked the Vietnamese leader for his efforts to promote agricultural cooperation between the two countries and added that the United States would begin importing star apple from Viet Nam and was completing final procedures to import mangoes as well.

USDA would work with MARD to discuss measures to implement Huệ’s proposals, especially on the import of pomelo in future, Censky said.

He also asked Việt Nam to consider importing US fruits, such as blueberries and other citrus fruits. — VNS