June 17, 2004

Vietfish 2004 Opens In Ho Chi Minh City

About 170 foreign and domestic businesses are displaying their products and services at the Vietfish 2004 fair, which opened in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Monday.

The number of foreign firms taking part in the fair has increased considerably as compared with the Vietfish 2003, said an official from the Ministry of Fisheries.

Most participants are seafood importers and suppliers of machinery, technology and additives for seafood processing.

They come from the UK, Sweden, Norway, Spain, the United States, Germany, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Denmark, Indonesia and China, he added.

During the fair, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), one of the fair's organizers, will hold seminars on several topics, including the world seafood market, ecology and sea aquaculture.

In the first five months of this year, Vietnam posted US$782 million in fishery exports, showing a mere 2.5% increase from the same period in 2003.

The United States has remained the biggest buyer, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia.

The event will run until June 24 at the Ho Chi Minh City International Exhibition and Convention Center.