Since the mid-1990s, bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam have become virtually normalized. The United States has granted Vietnam permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status and Vietnam has become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)—two major objectives of the Vietnamese government following the end of the Vietnam War. Although the United States remains concerned about human rights in Vietnam, tensions between the two nations are comparatively low. The Vietnamese government and various Vietnamese interest groups have long sought U.S. assistance with the cleanup of the residual dioxin in Vietnam, as well as financial support to provide medical treatment to people exposed to Agent Orange. 112-10 ) for Agent Orange/dioxin remediation and related health activities in Vietnam, and an additional $20.0 million in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 ( P.L. Some Members of Congress have also stated that the United States has a "moral obligation" to the people of Vietnam—many of whom were either allies at the time or were innocent civilians—to help address the perceived environmental and health problems created by the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. With other key issues apparently resolved, Agent Orange has emerged as one of Vietnam's top concerns. According to the testimony of a State Department official before a House subcommittee in May 2008, examples of U.S.-Vietnamese cooperation on Agent Orange include:
The creation of a Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) to review possible joint activities related to dioxin contamination; Joint workshops conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence to share historical information on U.S. military operations in Vietnam related to Agent Orange handling and storage; A five-year, $2 million project—involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology and the Ministry of National Defence—to enhance Vietnam's ability to conduct laboratory analysis of soil and tissue samples; and $400,000 in financial support from the Department of State and the EPA for dioxin mitigation planning assistance in Da Nang. Most of the funds have been awarded as grants to non-government organizations to provide services related the project. Within Vietnam, however, there is widespread concern about the living conditions of its estimated 2.1 million-4.8 million people who were exposed to Agent Orange and the already identified 3 million people with medical conditions the Vietnamese government attributes to that exposure. Issues and Options for Congress

For over three decades, the effects of Agent Orange and its accompanying dioxin, TCDD, on the people and the environment of Vietnam have remained in the background of U.S.-Vietnamese relations. Pending Legislation

At least two bills have been introduced in the 112 th Congress that would directly or indirectly result in the appropriation of additional funds to finance the cleanup of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam and/or provide assistance to Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin. 112-172 associated with S. 3241 , the Senate Committee on Appropriations recommended the appropriation of
not less than $20,000,000 for site analysis and environmental remediation of dioxin contamination at the Bien Hoa and Phu Cat hot spots, and not less than $5,000,000 under the GHP [Global Health Programs] heading for disability surveys, monitoring, and related health activities in areas that were heavily sprayed with Agent Orange or are otherwise contaminated with dioxin.…
The House version of the appropriations bill, H.R. General Issues

If Congress addresses the issues related to Agent Orange, there are several aspects of U.S. policy it could examine and consider. One model multi-year plan has been proposed by the Dialogue Group.
Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, there has been a gradual warming of bilateral relations between the United States and Vietnam, culminating in the appointment of the first U.S. ambassador to Vietnam in 1996 and the granting of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Vietnam in 2007. Over the last three decades, many—but not all—of the major issues causing tension between the two nations have been resolved.
One major legacy of the Vietnam War that remains unresolved is the damage that Agent Orange, and its accompanying dioxin, have done to the people and the environment of Vietnam. For the last 35 years, this issue has generally been pushed to the background of bilateral discussions by other issues considered more important by the United States and/or Vietnam. With most of those issues presently resolved, the issue of Agent Orange/dioxin has emerged as a regular topic in bilateral discussions.
In the last few years, the United States has shown a greater willingness to fund environmental remediation activities in Vietnam. Since 2007, Congress has appropriated $59.5 million for dioxin removal and related health care activities in Vietnam. In 2012, the Senate has proposed providing an additional $20 million in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2013 (S. 3241), but the House of Representatives has not included dioxin remediation funding in its corresponding appropriations bill, H.R. 5857. The Vietnamese government and people would like to see the United States do more to provide help for victims of Agent Orange, as well as assist with the cleanup of other Agent Orange "hot spots."
According to various estimates, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 11 million-12 million gallons of Agent Orange over nearly 10% of then-South Vietnam between 1961 and 1971. One scientific study estimated that between 2.1 million and 4.8 million Vietnamese were directly exposed to Agent Orange. Vietnamese advocacy groups claim that there are over 3 million Vietnamese suffering from health problems caused by exposure to the dioxin in Agent Orange.
The people of Vietnam have become increasingly concerned about the issue of Agent Orange. Various non-government organizations are placing more pressure on the Vietnamese government to remove the dioxin from the environment and provide better care to the people exposed to Agent Orange. Some government ministries are comparatively sympathetic to the public concern about Agent Orange, but other ministries are apprehensive that highlighting the dangers of dioxin could have undesired consequences for bilateral relations or for Vietnam's economy.
This report examines various estimates of the effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam's people and environment, the history of U.S. policy on the issue, the current cleanup efforts in Vietnam, the various forms of assistance—including U.S. governmental assistance—provided to people with medical conditions associated with dioxin exposure, and the implications for bilateral relations. It concludes with a brief discussion of possible congressional responses to the issue.
This report will be updated as conditions warrant.