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Vietnam’s crab fisheries have been recognized by the United States as meeting the requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), allowing continued normal exports to the US market through 2029. The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said on May 11 that the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an equivalence determination for Vietnam’s crab fisheries, alongside Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the MMPA.
The equivalence determination means seafood and seafood products from Vietnam’s crab fisheries will continue to be allowed for import into the US rather than facing restrictions that had been feared earlier. NOAA said that in January Vietnam separated the former crab fishing codes into four species- and gear-specific codes: Fishery IDs 13164, 13206, 13204 and 13205.
After reviewing documents, supplemental information, and related data, the US side assessed that these fisheries are managed as effectively as the US fisheries management programs. The equivalence determination for Vietnam is valid until December 31, 2029.
NOAA also noted that it could reconsider or terminate the decision if Vietnam’s fisheries management program no longer meets applicable conditions.
VASEP said the new result supports Vietnamese crab exports to the US without requiring a COA (certificate of origin for seafood not from banned fisheries). Companies, however, still need to pay attention to the origin of imported raw materials.
Specifically, if raw materials from other countries are used, they must not come from fisheries banned by the US. If materials come from permitted fisheries, the company still needs a COA from the exporting country to prove legitimate origin.
NOAA’s move represents a major shift from the initial August stance by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). At that time, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines’ crab fisheries were assessed as not meeting the required standards to protect marine mammals under the MMPA.
Under the act, foreign fisheries seeking to export seafood to the US must meet equivalent standards to US protections for marine mammals.
The determination also references US imports of blue crab: the US imported 2,417 tons of blue crab from the Philippines in 2025. In comparison, Vietnam exported 4,143 tons, while Indonesia exported over 14,290 tons.
VASEP said the new determination helps maintain Vietnam’s crab industry outbound volumes to the US market, which it described as the most important market currently. In 2025, Vietnam’s crab exports reached nearly USD 86 million, with the US accounting for over 81% of the total and rising about 10%.
Beyond the US, crab exports to the EU rose 102% last year to over USD 3 million, and exports to CPTPP countries increased nearly 29%, indicating the industry is expanding beyond the US market.
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