The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) dispatched to Vietnam an agricultural trade mission named the "Trade Reciprocity for US Manufacturers and Producers (TRUMP) Mission." Led by Luke J. Lindberg, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, it ranges from the California Fresh Fruit Association to Potatoes USA and the US Meat Export Federation, 10 industry groups participating. With 2025 farm exports to Vietnam, year on year, up 45% at 5.6 billion dollars(a record high) having been recorded, it aims for further market expansion.
The 10 industry groups dispatched, and the aim
From fruit to bio-products — a broad coverage
- California Fresh Fruit Association
- Washington Apple Commission
- California Prune Board
- Potatoes USA
- USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
- US Dairy Export Council
- US Grains and Bio-products Council
- US Meat Export Federation
- US Soybean Export Council
- U.S. Wheat Associates
The lineup of 10 groups covers nearly all sectors of US agriculture—grains, livestock, fruit, dairy and bio-products. For the US, Vietnam is the eighth-largest agricultural export market, and tariff-reduction talks and the renewal of quarantine agreements are the main agenda.
Vietnam's dietary-structure shift seen in wheat
The data to watch is wheat. Vietnam's purchases of US wheat in the 2025/26 year 586,000 metric tonnes(+3% year on year) were reached, and per-capita wheat consumption 6% a year is increasing at that pace. The "globalization of food," in which a rice-centered food culture diversifies toward bread, noodles and instant foods, is changing the structure of grain trade.
Vietnam's rice exports struggle in price competition while wheat imports rise seems contradictory at first glance, but it is rational given the expansion of the urban foodservice industry and rising income levels. A dual structure is becoming clear: rice as a "strategic commodity to export and earn from," and wheat as a "new pillar of domestic consumption."
US-China trade friction is a tailwind for Vietnam
Rising as an alternative destination for farm goods bound for China
One reason the USDA is active in Vietnam is the prolongation of US-China trade friction. With China having raised tariffs on US soybeans and corn, the US agricultural sector is hurrying to open up alternative export destinations. Vietnam's market potential—a population of just under 100 million and an annual GDP growth rate in the 6% range—looks all the more attractive in this context.
At the same time, Vietnam is also deepening agricultural cooperation with China, and is in a position courted by both the US and China. In cashew nut exports too, China has overtaken the US as this shows, Vietnam's farm trade is growing multipolar.
Points Vietnamese agriculture stakeholders should watch closely
The impact of an inflow of US farm goods on domestic agriculture
- Livestock sector: expanded imports of US chicken and pork may become price pressure for domestic poultry and pig farmers in Vietnam
- Fruit sector: if tariff reductions on California fruit are realized, shelf competition with domestic fruit will intensify
- Dairy sector: Vietnam's dairy market is dominated by Vinamilk, but expanded distribution of US cheese and butter will change the raw-material market for processed foods
- Grain sector: a stable supply of feed corn and soybeans is a positive for Vietnam's livestock industry
The USDA plans an even larger agribusiness trade mission in the latter half of 2026. For Vietnamese agriculture, investment and imports from the US carry both opportunity and risk. Strengthening its own green passport strategy and quality certification to raise its negotiating power is required.
