The door to the 28-member EuropeanUnion will open wider once the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement comes tolife, as long as Vietnamese seafood exporters ensure food hygiene andsafety, the Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times)reported.
Most recently, the European Trade Policyand Investment Support Project (EU– MUTRAP) in conjunction with theInternational Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development organised a workshop to harmonise Vietnamese andEU food safety and quarantine regulations.
Expertscited that seafood exports to the union increased five-fold over thepast 15 years, adding the number of Vietnamese exporters to the markethas surged to 465 from 18 in 2000, comprising 27 percent of the EUmarket.
The increasing demand for aquatic productsand favourable exports has facilitated the development of seafoodbreading, manufacturing and processing at home.
Iflocal exporters to able to fully meet EU regulations and standards onfood hygiene and safety, they will be equipped to conquer member marketsin the business integration context.
Vietnam generated 1.4 billion USD from shipping seafood to the EU in 2014, a year-on-year increase of 21 percent.
According to Head of the project’s consultant group Claudio Dordi,Vietnamese aquatic products will become highly competitive in the EUthanks to the tariff cuts in the Vietnam-EU free trade pact. However,businesses should remain focused on quality and hygiene, he said.
Though the EU is a common market, it is composed of different membermarkets which require separate regulations and strict food hygiene andsafety, experts said.
Le Thanh Hoa, a representativefrom the International Cooperation Department, noted that food safetyviolations have increased in recent years.
From2010 to late May 2015, as many as 183 Vietnamese seafood batchesreceived warnings, including 41 batches in 2014 alone, he said, addingthat most of the batches failed to meet physical, chemical or biologicalstandards.
He said EU countries apply a common goodagriculture practice (GlobalGAP) standard on imported products, whileVietnamese seafood still produces at the VietGap standard.
He advised businesses to change their production and business habitsto supply the market with better quality products and increase theiradded value.
Meanwhile, Head of the SeafoodDevelopment Committee at the Vietnam Fisheries Association Nguyen TuCuong suggested exporters ensure a series of strict requirements onmaterials, chemical compositions and labels from the market.-VNA
Most recently, the European Trade Policyand Investment Support Project (EU– MUTRAP) in conjunction with theInternational Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development organised a workshop to harmonise Vietnamese andEU food safety and quarantine regulations.
Expertscited that seafood exports to the union increased five-fold over thepast 15 years, adding the number of Vietnamese exporters to the markethas surged to 465 from 18 in 2000, comprising 27 percent of the EUmarket.
The increasing demand for aquatic productsand favourable exports has facilitated the development of seafoodbreading, manufacturing and processing at home.
Iflocal exporters to able to fully meet EU regulations and standards onfood hygiene and safety, they will be equipped to conquer member marketsin the business integration context.
Vietnam generated 1.4 billion USD from shipping seafood to the EU in 2014, a year-on-year increase of 21 percent.
According to Head of the project’s consultant group Claudio Dordi,Vietnamese aquatic products will become highly competitive in the EUthanks to the tariff cuts in the Vietnam-EU free trade pact. However,businesses should remain focused on quality and hygiene, he said.
Though the EU is a common market, it is composed of different membermarkets which require separate regulations and strict food hygiene andsafety, experts said.
Le Thanh Hoa, a representativefrom the International Cooperation Department, noted that food safetyviolations have increased in recent years.
From2010 to late May 2015, as many as 183 Vietnamese seafood batchesreceived warnings, including 41 batches in 2014 alone, he said, addingthat most of the batches failed to meet physical, chemical or biologicalstandards.
He said EU countries apply a common goodagriculture practice (GlobalGAP) standard on imported products, whileVietnamese seafood still produces at the VietGap standard.
He advised businesses to change their production and business habitsto supply the market with better quality products and increase theiradded value.
Meanwhile, Head of the SeafoodDevelopment Committee at the Vietnam Fisheries Association Nguyen TuCuong suggested exporters ensure a series of strict requirements onmaterials, chemical compositions and labels from the market.-VNA
