September 13, 2010

Vietnam loosens seafood imports rules

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a new circular, aiming to loosen rules on aquatic imports for local export processing, according to local news Friday (Sept 11).

The Circular No. 51 signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on September 8 stipulates that imported animal products for export processing are not obliged to follow regulations on food safety and hygiene in the Circular No. 25.

Meanwhile, imported aquatic inputs for export processing are also not required to be made from plants that meet food safety and hygiene certificates from the Vietnamese authorised agencies.

The new rules are expected to facilitate Vietnamese seafood processors to boost imports of materials for export processing.

Frozen meat importers are not subject to the new circular, which still requires food safety and hygiene certificates on any meat imports for domestic consumption. The circular, however, did not mention which agencies will provide such certificates.

Local media has reported that more than 500 containers of imported food, including frozen meat, seafood materials and dried items, have been stuck at Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City since early last week.

The deadlock has also been occurring at other ports in the city, as importers did not show such certificates as required by the Circular No. 25.