Industry news
Vietnamese tuna exporters expect difficulties in the third quarter
Datetime：2021-08-23VIET NAM: Vietnamese tuna exporters are forecast to face obstacles in the third quarter due to rising transport costs and the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to social distancing measures in almost all countries, which have led to restrictions on imports and customs clearance. Vietnamese tuna exporters expect difficulties in the third quarter. Container shortages remain, and congestion at seaports in China and the United States is hampering global trade.
According to the Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the export turnover of tuna for 7 months of this year amounted to more than 410 million US dollars, which is 21% more year on year. The main importers of Vietnam are the USA, Europe, Israel, Canada and Japan. The United States was the largest importer of over $ 170 million.
Since fisheries workers mostly work in cold conditions, the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is high. Meanwhile, many of them have not yet been vaccinated.
Competition, technical and trade barriers also pose challenges for the sector. Several global competitors and European markets want to improve the criteria for exporting to Europe, Vietnam's second largest importer of tuna.
VASEP announced that Spain, a major importer of Vietnamese tuna in Europe, plans to award the AENOR social responsibility label for imported tuna and introduce 9 criteria for tracing the origin of tuna exported to Europe. Accordingly, the AENOR label will be affixed to tuna caught in accordance with regulations to ensure that offshore fishermen meet the age criteria set by the International Labor Organization. The label is seen as a trade barrier for competitors and a tool to increase the income of Spanish fishermen, VASEP reported.
A spokesman for the fishing company Binh Dinh said the sector is facing difficulties due to increased operating costs, making it difficult to compete.
A VASEP spokesman said the sector is committed to tackling the pandemic, maintaining stable production and tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to achieve better results in the third quarter.
Source: Seafood Media
