August 28, 2014
Vietnam: Pangasius exports to the EU and US fall
From January to July this year, total pangasius or catfish exports from Vietnam generated US$972.19 million, representing a 1.3% on-year reduction.
The fall was partly due to the decline in exports to the European Union (EU) and to the United States, which represented 39.9% of all Vietnamese pangasius exports, compared to 45.5% over the same period in 2013.
Shipments to the EU experienced a 6.8% on-year decline, a result which reflects the strong competition from other fish species such as Alaska pollock. Exports to the US fell 21.5% on-year, a decrease mainly attributed to the high anti-dumping tax, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development wants to streamline the tra fish industry, which has suffered consequences from sudden and uncontrollable developments from some importing countries.
To achieve its goal, the Ministry is implementing a decree on tra fish farming, processing and export, through which tra fish farming locations must be reset up and by the end of next year, all farms must meet VietGap quality standards. The decree also sets that businesses must register their export contracts with the the Vietnam Pangasius Association so that they can get the association's confirmation for customs clearance.