Vietnam Fumigation

NAEGA continues to closely monitor developments regarding recently implemented fumigation and import requirements for U.S. origin corn, wheat and DDGs into Vietnam. U.S. origin DDGs continue to be banned from import into Vietnam due to the presence of quarantine pests. In addition, Vietnam PPD continues to require methyl bromide fumigation for all U.S. imports of wheat and corn in both bulk and containers. The U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently returned from February 7 bilateral meetings with Vietnam PPD to resolve this suspension and import requirements. APHIS is now pursuing a dual track approach for both DDGs and wheat and corn. For DDGs, APHIS agreed to develop and present to PPD a new technical package for fumigation of DDGs in containers by the end of February 2017. This technical package will be similar to the pilot program. Once the technical program is submitted and accepted by PPD, PPD will conduct a verification visit to the U.S. by August 2017. Once the verification visit is conducted and PPD confirms implementation of the technical program the suspension will be lifted.

For wheat and corn, methyl bromide fumigation requirements for bulk and containerized wheat and corn remain in place, but a target date for lifting the requirement has been set with PPD at May 2017. To meet this deadline, APHIS will develop measures to ensure pests do not arrive in Vietnam. PPD has indicated that it will leave specific treatment methods up to APHIS. APHIS has confirmed that the new measures to be developed will include the recirculation method of fumigation as laid out in the FGIS handbook. If the measures are accepted by PPD, then import permits beginning May 1, 2017 will not list methyl bromide fumigation as a requirement. For containers, wheat and corn fumigation measures will be dependent, and follow, fumigation measures currently being pursued for containerized DDGs.