On September 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture led an agribusiness trade mission in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, marking the first anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The delegation of 100, led by Under Secretary Alexis Taylor, was the largest U.S. trade mission to Vietnam, aimed at connecting U.S. exporters with Vietnamese importers and buyers from Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. The American Feed Industry Association also signed an MoU with Vietnam’s Feed and Animal Husbandry Associations. In 2023, the U.S. was Vietnam’s third-largest agricultural exporter, with exports totaling $1.3 billion.
Following the mission's conclusion, the USDA announced plans for its first-ever U.S. trade mission to Thailand, scheduled for February 2025. This mission will aim to connect U.S. exporters with buyers from Thailand and Myanmar. In 2023, the U.S. exported $1.2 billion in agricultural products to Thailand, with wheat, soybeans, other feeds, meals and fodders, and dairy products among the top exports. The timing of the mission aligns with Thailand’s recent agricultural modernization efforts, including the launch of the “IGNITE Agriculture 2025” initiative, aimed at reducing burning and adopting climate-friendly agricultural practices through innovation and upgrading agricultural production to increase farmers’ incomes. Thailand’s recent development of new genome-editing regulations is also expected to create further opportunities for U.S. companies with expertise in biotech in the agricultural sector.
