Seafood exporters urged to work harder to win EU market

Vietnam’s seafood sector needs to work to meet strict food safety requirements in the EU to penetrate the potential market more substantially, asserted experts.
Vietnam’s seafood sector needs to work to meet strict food safetyrequirements in the EU to penetrate the potential market moresubstantially, asserted experts.

Although thevolume of Vietnamese seafood exported to the EU market has been rising,food safety violations have also increased, they noted at a conferenceon harmonising food safety and quarantine regulations of Vietnam and theEU in Ho Chi Minh City on June 4.

According toClaudio Dordi, technical assistance Team Leader at the European TradePolicy and Investment Support Project (EU-MUTRAP) in Vietnam, Vietnameseseafood is likely to become more competitive in the EU market as a freetrade agreement between Vietnam and the union is expected to be signedsoon, allowing Vietnamese exporters to enjoy remarkable tax reductions.

However, the technical standards in the market willremain unchanged, he said, suggesting that Vietnamese businesses shouldstay active in familiarising themselves with the regulations.

Vietnamese seafood has been listed among the top products in the EU,however, the number of warned and returned seafood batches have risen.In 2012, 64 seafood products were returned, a sharp rise from 2002’sfigure of 26. From 2010 to May this year, 183 seafood batches receivedwarning, with 41 batches in last year alone.

According to Le Thanh Hoa, Vice Director of the Vietnam Sanitary andPhytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam),most batches subject to warning failed to meet physical, chemical orbiological standards.

EU countries apply a commonGlobalGAP (good agriculture practice) standard on imported products,while Vietnamese seafood still produces at the lower VietGAP standard,he noted.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Tu Cuong, Head of theSeafood Development Committee at the Vietnam Fisheries Association, saidthere are a series of strict requirements from EU countries, includingthose on materials, chemical compositions and labels.

He advised businesses to change their production and business habitsto improve market credit while enhancing added value to their products.

Dordi also suggested Vietnamese seafood exporterspay more attention to labelling with a view to raising added value andpromoting Vietnam’s seafood trademark.

According tothe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam’s standardsare lower than those of the EU; building a new standard system closer tothat of the EU would enhance trade collaboration with the EU.

After the conference, EU-MUTRAP experts are scheduled to draft areport detailing EU SPS policies and analysing shortages in Vietnam’sregulations to make recommendations on necessary adjustments in thefuture.-VNA

See more

At an automotive exhibition in Shanghai, China. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Chinese electric vehicles drive back into Vietnamese market

About a decade ago, Chinese car brands like Zotye Z8, Beijing X7, and Brilliance V7 entered the Vietnamese market to limited success. But a new fleet of modern Chinese vehicles began to gain traction in the Vietnam market last year.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Nearly 16 trillion VND raised through January bond auctions

The January auctions saw a strong preference for 10-year and 15-year bonds, representing 80.2% and 14.8% of the total, respectively. Specifically, 10-year bonds raised 12.81 trillion VND, while 15-year bonds garnered 2.36 trillion VND.

Thang Long ferry at Cau Da port in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. (Photo: VNA)

Vung Tau - Con Dao high-speed ferry reoperated

The high-speed ferry service connecting Vung Tau city and Con Dao island in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and vice versa was resumed on February 7 by Phu Quoc Express JSC after a 5-month suspension.

At the working session between the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance and the US Embassy over counterfeit Sunview-branded raisins in Hanoi on February 7. (Photo: dms.gov.vn)

Vietnam, US tackle counterfeit Sunview-branded raisins

Statistics showed that since 2024, there have been 27 documented cases involving Sunview raisins, resulting in fines of over 536 million VND (21,440 USD), primarily due to the sale of smuggled goods and products of unclear origin.