July 30, 2007

 

Vietnam's seafood exporters confident on meeting new import regulations

 

 

Vietnamese seafood exporters are upbeat that it can meet the government's tougher hygiene and standards particularly on products that are bound for Japan.

 

Under the new regulations, exporters must have a certificate from the Ministry of Fisheries stating that their products are free or have acceptable limits of antibiotic residues before shipping. The rule, which was issued on July 11 applies to shellfish, squid and octopus.

 

According to Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, chief of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors

(VASEP)'s Office, the mandates are a way to impose quality control seafood exports to Japan as well as building a reputation for Vietnamese seafood exporters.

 

The regulations were created following succeeding export violations found by Japan on Vietnamese seafood products, said Tam. 

 

Seafood exporters lauded the decision such as Le Van Diep, finance director of Minh Phu Seafood JSC, stating the new quality control standards will benefit his company as they will now have an easier time entering the Japanese market and hopefully sign more supply contracts as a result.

 

Minh Phu ships 15 to 20 percent of its goods to Japan annually, says Diep.

 

In 2006 and the early part of 2007, Japanese officials rejected Vietnamese exports due to the presence of antibiotics and other chemicals.

 

If a company fails to pass hygiene and safety checks twice, a third warning will then be issued and put the exporter on a black list.

 

The ban on the company will be lifted after it has clearly verified the safety of its products issues a report identifying the root of the problem and has taken the necessary correctional steps, which have been inspected by the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved).

 

Exporters will no longer be subject to checks on shipments to Japan after they have passed 10 consecutive tests, the ministry said.

 

The fisheries ministry is also urging companies to conduct independent checks on seafood products before processing.