Minister Tran Duc Thang held a bilateral meeting with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on the morning of 18 November

Strengthening Vietnam–Iowa agricultural trade cooperation

The meeting on November 18 between Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig marked a continuation of the key outcomes achieved during the Ministry’s working mission to the United States in June 2025.

At the meeting, Minister Tran Duc Thang underscored that Iowa’s major export commodities—such as soybeans, corn, animal feed, and feed ingredients—are also the products Vietnam imports in large volumes. This creates significant potential to further advance bilateral trade between the two countries in general, and with the State of Iowa in particular.

The Minister noted that products from Vietnam and Iowa do not directly compete, providing favorable conditions to expand agricultural exchange. He expressed confidence that U.S. exports of agriculture, forestry, and fishery products to Vietnam will grow strongly, especially in categories where Vietnam has high demand and the United States has comparative advantages, including milk and dairy products, fresh fruit, wheat, animal and vegetable oils and fats, animal feed, fertilizers, and pesticides and related inputs.

The Minister noted the positive progress in Viet Nam–U.S. ties, including with Iowa, and said Iowa’s key commodities did not compete directly with Vietnamese products, leaving ample room to expand trade

Minister Tran Duc Thang recalled that during the June 2025 mission, the two sides signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and commercial contracts between Vietnamese and Iowa enterprises. These agreements—covering imports of corn, wheat, and soybeans valued at more than USD 800 million—are being actively implemented. After five months, roughly 25 percent of the committed volume has been contracted, equivalent to about USD 185 million.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment continues to encourage Vietnamese enterprises to fully execute the agreements signed with U.S. partners in general and with Iowa businesses in particular.

Responding to these remarks, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig affirmed that the State of Iowa considers Vietnam a strategic partner in agricultural trade, particularly in corn, soybeans, pork, and feed ingredients. He emphasized that Iowa stands ready to be a reliable partner in developing future cooperation programs with Vietnam.

Investment promotion and strengthening partnership

Regarding future collaboration, Minister Tran Duc Thang expressed interest in inviting Iowa companies to invest in agricultural processing, feed production, smart agriculture, and high-tech livestock farming models in Vietnam. He also called for expanded business-to-business engagement through investment promotion missions, trade conferences, and B2B matchmaking activities between enterprises from both sides.
The Minister stressed that Vietnam offers a stable and transparent investment environment, along with appropriate support mechanisms to help Iowa businesses operate effectively and achieve long-term growth.

Minister Tran Duc Thang presented a souvenir to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig

Concluding the meeting, Minister Tran Duc Thang noted that Vietnam is negotiating a reciprocal trade agreement with the U.S. Government. Maintaining commercial relations, he emphasized, delivers tangible benefits for producers and consumers as well as supports thousands of jobs across distribution networks in the United States.

Therefore, the Minister expressed hope that Secretary Mike Naig will voice support for Vietnam with the U.S. Government to help expedite the conclusion and signing of the agreement, ensuring balanced and mutually beneficial outcomes for both sides.

Khanh Linh - Ngoc Huyen