Vietnam officially accepts the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies

Published 2025년 9월 16일

Tridge summary

Core Tip: On September 15, a representative from Vietnam formally submitted the instrument of accession to the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (Fish 1) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Switzerland. This move is significant, increasing the total number of WTO members who have ratified the agreement to 111, meeting the basic requirement for the agreement to officially come into effect globally (according to the rules, the agreement can only come into effect when two-thirds of WTO members—111 members—formally ratify it). Vietnam, Brazil, Kenya, and Tonga are the last four countries to "activate" this landmark agreement.

Original content

According to a report by the Vietnam News Agency in Geneva, at a special meeting of the World Trade Organization, Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and other international organizations in Geneva, submitted the instrument of acceptance on behalf of Vietnam. This move not only enhanced Vietnam's prestige and status as a credible and responsible international partner, but also demonstrated Vietnam's firm determination to combat "illegal, unreported, and unregulated" (IUU) fishing. This issue is of critical importance to Vietnam's seafood export market. The Fisheries Subsidies Agreement was adopted at the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva in 2022, after over 20 years of arduous negotiations. This is the WTO's first multilateral agreement focusing on the protection of the marine environment and the sustainable development of fisheries. The agreement establishes ...

Source: Foodmate