Frozen catfish for exports. (Photo: CL-FISH)
More than 20 firms allowed to export catfish to US
VIET NAM
Thursday, March 10, 2016, 02:20 (GMT + 9)
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a list of eligible catfish exporters from four countries allowed to ship their products to the American market, among which there are more than twenty Vietnamese firms.
The products from the enabled firms -- 23 plants from Viet Nam, 19 from China, 13 from Myanmar and 7 from Thailand --will have to be shipped under the inspection programme of the US for siluriformes fish, including Vietnamese catfish (pangasius).
The inspection programme for siluriformes fish entered into force on March 1 and for 18 months there will be a transitional implementation period for both domestic and international producers. During this period, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will re-inspect and conduct species and residue sampling on imported siluriformes fish shipments at least quarterly at US import establishments on a random basis.
USDA stressed that starting at present, all siluriformes fish will be under FSIS regulatory jurisdiction and no longer regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s General Department of Customs, informed this country exported 11,770 tonnes of tra catfish to the US in January, earning USD 32.4 million. The exports had a year-on-year increase of 24.5 per cent in volume and 4.1 per cent in value.
Official sources inform that the local tra fish industry will see a lack of supply for processing until 2017, and that will have an effect on exports this year.
Sources from Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) stated that at present only 70 per cent of the tra fish demand is met and it is expected to lower to 50 per cent of demand (1,700 tonnes) from June 2016 until the first quarter of 2017.
VASEP deputy chairman Dương Ngọc Minh explained that the lack of tra fish supply was due to a reduction in production last year, which was caused by lack of funds for production among enterprises and disinterest from banks in advancing loans for production.
Minh stressed that Vietnamese tra fish products are exported to 80 countries and territories in the world, but the lack of supply would mean the industry can only meet the demand of three major markets mainly the United States, Europe and China.
Therefore, Vietnam would find it difficult to meet its target of USD 1.7 billion in tra fish exports for this year.
The leader also said that as importers know there is a lack of tra fish for processing so they have promoted imports at present to avoid higher prices by this year-end. He pointed out that tra fish price and its export price are expected to increase in the future.
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