Vietnamese pangasius exports to Brazil in the first two months this year surged by 42 per cent year on year to US$20 million. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has asked Brazil to consider removing barriers for seafood products exported from Việt Nam to this market, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Brazil does not allow the export of frozen whole shrimp and still applies additive and phosphate standards on tra fish (pangasius) that are different from the Office International des Epizooties (OIE)’s standards, thereby causing difficulties for Vietnamese seafood exports.

Besides that, Brazil stopped the import of tilapia from Việt Nam from February 14 this year awaiting a conclusion on reviewing the risk of disease caused by TiLV virus.

The Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said this is considered an initial barrier for Vietnamese tilapia products, and it could be to other seafood products of Việt Nam as well, like pangasius. This decision could pose various challenges to Vietnamese businesses in the future.

Therefore, businesses need to be more careful about choosing breeds as well as controlling diseases for not only tilapia but also whitefish, including pangasius, according to the association.

VASEP said Vietnamese pangasius exports to Brazil in the first two months this year surged by 42 per cent year on year to US$20 million.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phùng Đức Tiến said the ministry has assigned the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development to work with the Brazilian Embassy those issues as soon as possible.

Regarding the market barriers for Vietnamese seafood in the Brazil market, Lê Bá Anh, deputy director of the Deputy Director of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development, said Brazil needs to consider its additive and phosphate standards and testing additive content for local pangasius, as well as heat treatment requirements for shrimp exported to Brazil.

Those should be adjusted because those regulations and standards are different from international practices and the regulation set by the OIE of the World Organization for Animal Health.

Việt Nam also proposed Brazil adjust administrative procedures relating to product label registration and soon approve the list of Vietnamese enterprises allowed to export agricultural products to this market to meet business needs.

Regarding the Brazilian decision to stop importing Vietnamese tilapia, Việt Nam has requested that shipments entering this market before the decision date still be imported as normal.

Roberto Serroni Perosa, deputy minister of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA), said that Brazil will send to Việt Nam via the Brazilian Embassy in Việt Nam the list of Vietnamese enterprises allowed to export agricultural products to Brazil.

Perosa also affirmed that customs clearance for Vietnamese tilapia shipments to Brazil made before this decision would be as normal.

According to the World Trade Centre (ITC), Việt Nam is still the largest supplier of white meat fish to Brazil. Of which, 90 per cent of the seafood exported from Việt Nam to Brazil are pangasius. Along with pangasius, Brazil imports a small volume of tilapia from Việt Nam. — VNS