Technical barriers to trade regarding labelling: A case study of catfish dispute between the United States and Vietnam

Abstract

The sharp increase in quantity of Vietnamese catfish in the U.S. market took attention of the U.S. catfish industry, therefore, Catfish Farmers of America (hereafter CFA) acted to protect their market as well as interests. Firstly, the CFA conducted an advertisement campaign against Vietnamese catfish on environmental and sanitary ground. The CFA moved into the second campaign was so-called “catfish trade name”. The CFA alleged that Tra and Basa fish (Vietnamese catfish) were not “catfish”, thus, these fish could not be sold with the labelling as “catfish”, and the term “catfish” should solely be permitted to use for fish of the family Ictaluridae which is mainly raised in the Southern States of the U.S. This paper’s aim is to illustrate whether or not regulation on employing the term “catfish” of the United States is consistent with the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement.