Seafood exporters prepare for crisis

A decline in shrimp from India and Indonesia is likely to create opportunities for Viet Nam’s seafood exporters as they struggle with the difficulties stemming from the global economic crisis.

So too will the newly-signed economic agreements with Viet Nam’s second best customer for seafood, Japan.

The Viet Nam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement and the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will come into effect this year.

Both are expected to ensure Japan continues to buy Viet Nam’s frozen shrimp, tuna and other species of saltwater fish, reports the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

Not unexpectedly, the association forecasts that numerous seafood exporters will focus on the Japanese market because of the crisis.

Major market

Japan is Viet Nam’s major market for frozen shrimp - yearly revenue is put at almost US$400 million - and Quoc Viet Co Ltd general director Ngo Van Nga said his company had already sent one container of crustacean to Tokyo this year.

Sao Ta Food Joint Stock Company (Fimex VN) general director Duong Ngoc Kim said his company had exported 20 tonnes.

Japan imported 134,000 tonnes of seafood from Viet Nam worth $828 million last year - 13.2 per cent more by volume and 11 per cent in value compared with the figures in 2007.

Promotion

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has approved five promotion programmes for seafood exports, including one in Japan, says the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

The programmes are intended to boost seafood exports during the economic crisis.

The approved promotions are: Gulfood 2009, a trade fair for food and beverage in the United Arab Emirates from February 21-28; the International Boston Seafood Show in March; the European Seafood Exposition – a trade fair on seafood in Brussels during April; the Japan International Seafood and Technology Expo in Tokyo, in July; and a programme for improving the quality of trade information for Viet Nam’s seafood producers and exporters.

VietNamNet, VNS

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