December 24, 2010

Brazil to levy taxes on Vietnamese fish imports

The Brazilian government is set to impose a 35% tax on pangasius fish imported from Vietnam, officials from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) said.

The VASEP officials quoted Brazilian importers as saying that the Latin American country has placed Vietnamese pangasius on a special list that will be subject to high tariffs.

VASEP said the special listing happened after the Brazil National Council of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Exploitation (CONEP) met to establish technical and quality standards for the fish, Brazil's major import from Vietnam.

Earlier this year, the Vietnam Trade Office in Brazil had expressed concern after authorities in Santa Catarina, a southern state in Brazil, expressed discontent about Vietnam's tra fish being sold at low prices, saying it threatened Brazilian fish farmers.

CONEP had also complained earlier that Vietnamese tra fish was bred in unsafe environment, but available at big supermarkets in Brazil, the Vietnam Business Forum said.