April 11, 2006

Vietnamese companies in Germany to market seafood and ensure quality
 

Two companies specialising in Vietnamese seafood import and marketing would be set up in Germany to facilitate sales in the EU and ensure that Vietnamese seafood exported to the EU meet its hygiene and safety standards.

The companies, part of a project by the Ministry of Fisheries and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) to boost seafood exports to the EU, would have a laboratory to conduct quality tests on seafood products before they are exported to the rest of the EU.

The first company, Vietnam Bremen GmbH, is owned by VASEP and would specialise in purchasing Vietnamese seafood that would later be transferred to the second company, German Bremen GmbH. The second company will also be in charge of marketing and sales to EU dealers.

The laboratory, the critical part of the project, would inspect Vietnamese seafood products before their entry into the EU. This would minimise products being rejected due to poor hygiene or antibiotic use. About 2,000 containers of Vietnamese seafood would go through the laboratory each year.

The EU market absorbs about 20 percent of Vietnamese seafood, especially fish and shrimp.