U.S. FDA opens first ASEAN regional office in Viet Nam

The office in Viet Nam is the sole focal point of the U.S. Government for food and pharmaceutical regulatory matters in ASEAN.

On July 29, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung received Mr. Mark Abdoo, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Global Strategy at the Office of Global Policy and Strategy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Facilitating agrifood trade

Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung acknowledged the effective cooperation between the two countries over the years, particularly in food safety, management of export processing facilities, and professional exchanges.

Building on this foundation, the Ministry hopes to expand cooperation in a more comprehensive manner, covering not only fisheries but the entire agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors.

"We believe the FDA office in Hanoi will contribute to promoting information exchange, strengthening technical coordination, promptly addressing emerging issues, and deepening cooperation between the FDA and Vietnamese regulatory agencies," Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung said.

According to Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung, the two sides should enhance cooperation in food safety risk assessment and risk management; food inspection, examination, and traceability; while supporting human resource training and capacity building in crop production, livestock production, and veterinary services to better meet international market requirements.

Both sides share a common vision of developing safe, transparent, and sustainable agricultural supply chains. The U.S. is an important supplier of various raw materials for Viet Nam’s agricultural processing industry and animal feed production. In 2025, Viet Nam’s agricultural imports from the U.S. increased by 27% compared with 2024, providing input materials for processing industries and contributing to higher added value for agricultural products.

Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung also proposed that the FDA continue coordinating with relevant agencies to further facilitate agricultural trade between the two countries, while strengthening information exchange on technical requirements, new regulations, and management measures so that businesses can make appropriate preparations.

FDA: Viet Nam is a strategic partner in global supply chain

Mr. Mark Abdoo affirmed that the FDA would fully convey Viet Nam’s proposals to relevant agencies of the U.S. Government.

The establishment of the first regional FDA office in Viet Nam demonstrates the U.S. Government’s commitment to further deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the U.S. and Viet Nam. The U.S. Government considers Viet Nam an important partner in the global supply chain and one of the countries holding a particularly significant position in the ASEAN region.

According to Mr. Mark Abdoo, this is an investment aimed at modernizing the regulatory system, establishing a transparent and predictable legal framework, and creating a favorable environment for trade development. "We hope to work with Viet Nam to build a modern, transparent, streamlined, and predictable regulatory system," he said.

FDA representative also highly appreciated the role of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development in managing food safety in the fisheries sector - an area where the two sides have maintained effective cooperation for many years.

One area of particular interest proposed by the FDA is cooperation on genetic sequencing for disease surveillance and food safety. According to Mr. Mark Abdoo, if Viet Nam engages more deeply in international data-sharing networks, genetic sequencing results could be updated in real time, helping to rapidly trace sources of contamination or pathogens.

FDA seeks to strengthen cooperation in export product certification, sharing inspection data, enhancing the capacity of quality monitoring systems, and maintaining regular technical exchange mechanisms.

Kieu Chi