An additional 37 Vietnamese seafood companies have been allowed to export products to the European Union market, raising the total number of approved companies to date to 245.
These companies received the right to export products to the EU as of April 6, 2007, according to the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved).
However, the Vinh Long seafood processing workshop has been removed from the list as the workshop has been shut down. In addition, as requested by the Vietnamese side, the EU has corrected information of 23 Vietnamese companies.
The fact that the EU has allowed more Vietnamese companies to export seafood products to the market shows Vietnamese processing workshops can meet EU food hygiene requirements, good news for the aquaculture and seafood industry.
However, new concerns have come from Australia since the country decided to limit imports with the import risk analysis (IRA) on shrimp products. The new method will focus on the degree that diseases in shrimp products can affect human health.
Australian agencies have announced that they will increase examinations of imported shrimp products for the five most dangerous diseases, and the country will only import products from countries free of these diseases. Several kinds of shrimp products, including tempura, will have to be sulphurized at 85oC. Moreover, the products must have quarantine certificates from competent agencies to be imported to the country.
Statistics show that Australia is one of the 10 most important markets for Vietnamese seafood exporters. Vietnam exports 44 per cent of its total frozen shrimp exports to the country. Some 40 Vietnamese companies export to Australia and earn turnover of US$60-70 million a year.
The Vietnamese seafood industry has seen massive growth over the last decade. In the first quarter of this year alone, Vietnam generated USUS$700 million from seafood exports, a year-on-year increase of 35 per cent.
The country now ranks as the seventh largest exporter of seafood products globally. (The People)
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