TPP Negotiations Must Include Seafood Safety Standards for Imports from Vietnam, Malaysia, Say Lawmakers

Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) pushed for strong public health protections as part of the ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. "As a result of expanded trade with two particular TPP countries, Vietnam and Malaysia, the United States markets could see an influx of imported contaminated seafood," said a press release. Those two countries have an especially poor track record for seafood imported into the U.S., the lawmakers said.

“In Fiscal Year 2012, imported seafood products from Vietnam, the fifth largest exporter of shrimp to the United States, were refused entry 206 times because of concerns including filth, decomposition, drug residues, unapproved food additives and Salmonella. Meanwhile… U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials determined that some exporters in Malaysia have acted as conduits to transship Chinese shrimp to the United States in order to circumvent both FDA Import Alerts and antidumping duties,” they said. “We strongly believe that these critical food safety issues should be resolved prior to the conclusion of the TPP FTA negotiations in order to best protect the public health from these known health risks.”

While some believe that "through improved science-based risk assessments in partner countries as included in the SPS Chapter of the TPP FTA, the risk associated with imported seafood will decrease," that isn't clear, they said. "In the case of Vietnam, it is our understanding that a number of legally enforceable regulations, including a Ministry of Fisheries Decision (No. 29/2005/QD-BTS) that required all consignments of shrimp and other seafood products to be tested before shipment to the United States, have not been extended or have been revoked. This calls into question whether food safety standards are in fact being raised in that country."

There are steps the U.S. can take to reduce safety risks for the imported seafood, they said. "Vietnam has bilateral SPS agreements with a number of countries, including Canada, and we believe a similar U.S.-Vietnam agreement that puts in place a strict inspection and certification regime is in the U.S. public’s best interest," the letter said. "Such an agreement can, in fact, build on the three-year Memorandum of Understanding signed by the FDA and Vietnam’s Ministry of Health in 2008. Similarly, a cooperative agreement with Malaysia that allows CBP and ICE officials access to exporter facilities in order to end Malaysia’s circumvention of U.S. law is critical."