Vietnam has undertaken efforts to enhance product quality and marketing strategies in a bid to take full advantage of Canada’s market potential for its aquacultural products.

Vietnamese seafood products, especially frozen tra fish (pangasius) fillets, are amongst the best-selling imported products in Canada and are available at a large number of retailers.

According to Hua Van Hao, President of Kien Fat Trade Company in Toronto, Canada, Vietnam should strengthen the State management of tra fish export in terms of quality and price in order to meet international standards.

Meanwhile, Lenny Wong, Executive Director of Ocean Parkers Inc., highlighted the large potential on the local market for Vietnamese seafood products, adding that his company imported and distributed 600 containers of tra fish and ba sa fish all over Canada each year.

Wong also suggested Vietnam improve product quality and food safety to gain the trust of Canadian consumers, while also increasing competitiveness in the field.

The Government recently issued Decree 36/2014/ND-CP, which requires breeders, processors, and exporters of tra fish to meet the Vietnam Good Agricultural Practice (VietGap) standards or international standards such as GlobalGAP and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), in a move to strengthen its exports to large markets such as the EU and the US.-VNA