August 15, 2007

Vietnam submits list of Japan-approved seafood exporters

The National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved) has sent the General Office of Customs the 71 exporters that are excluded from antibiotic and chemical testing in its seafood shipments to Japan, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors.

The list of exempt enterprises will be updated and sent to the General Office of Customs every month, the association said.

Though 347 companies have been licensed to export shrimp, crab, cuttlefish and octopus products to Japan, the 71 companies are the only exempted exporters in chemical and antibiotic testing.

However, the enterprises will be removed from the list if their exports are found to be contaminated with banned products.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities have permitted 11 Vietnamese enterprises to export their seafood products to their country since August 7. The decision was issued after a Russian delegation to Vietnam in July inspected food hygiene and safety standards at the seafood processing facilities exporting to Russia.

Vietnamese seafood export revenues reached US$2 billion so far this year, a 16 percent increase compared to the same period last year.