US senators oppose new inspections on Vietnamese catfish

A number of prominent US senators are fighting a bid by the US catfish industry to impose new inspections on fast rising Vietnamese catfish imports, saying it could trigger a trade war.

In a letter, the senators warned that a trade war could be sparked if Asian fish are included in a new inspection regime that was pushed through Congress last year at the urging of US producers.

The senators said it was not their intent to include Vietnamese catfish in the new system when it was passed in last year's farm bill. The inclusion would serve as a de-facto ban on exports from key trading partners and could prompt retaliatory measures against US exports of other products, according to the letter.

The US catfish industry is struggling against the cheaper imports, feeling that better inspections are necessary to ensure safety. But Vietnamese officials and their US distribution partners said the new system is aimed more at restricting foreign competition.

Lawmakers who signed the letter largely represent states with distribution companies that stand to lose business from the new trade restrictions, or states with large industries that could get caught in the crossfire, such as the beef industry, of which Vietnam is a major export market.

Congress passed the new inspections requirement with strong support from influential Southern lawmakers who represent the US catfish industry. The farm bill singled out catfish as the only seafood to be regulated by the Agriculture Department, which traditionally oversees only beef, pork and poultry products.