VietNamNet Bridge - Never before has Vietnam’s shrimp industry met such difficulties, as technical barriers have been used in large importing markets.

In the last 15 years, shrimp exports have played an important role in Vietnam’s seafood industry development. If shrimp exports go smoothly, seafood exports will increase.

In 2002, Vietnam’s seafood export turnover for the first time exceeded the $2 billion threshold, while shrimp accounted for 48 percent of total exports, bringing $966 million.

In 2014, when Vietnam exported $7.9 billion worth of seafood products, shrimp brought $4 billion.

In 2002, Vietnam’s seafood export turnover for the first time exceeded the $2 billion threshold, while shrimp accounted for 48 percent of total exports, bringing $966 million.

In 2015-2016, as shrimp exports met difficulties, Vietnam’s seafood export turnover hovered around $7 billion. In 2016, shrimp brought $3.1 billion to Vietnam, or 45 percent of total seafood export turnover.

Many standards, barriers

Vietnam’s shrimp has to overcome barriers to enter choosy markets. The problem is that standards and requirements set up by different markets are very different, which makes it difficult for Vietnam enterprises to satisfy all the requirements.

Australia, for example, classifies shrimp imports as uncooked or cooked shrimp. 

For uncooked shrimp, the imports must be recognized by Australian authority as clean shrimp, shrimp with no disease. With cooked shrimp, export countries must undertake to export only the products suitable for human food and to control infectious diseases.

However, the consignments of shrimp meeting requirements to enter the Australian market may be judged as ‘substandard’ when entering the South Korean market. 

This is simply because the requirements set by South Korea are different from Australia’s.

South Korea has made some adjustments with its law on aquatic disease control, which, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep), are stricter than the old requirements.

Vietnam’s shrimp exports now have to bear examination twice, by Vietnam’s agencies before shipping, and by South Korean agencies at the ports. 

China, which is thought to be an easy-to-please market, is also going to impose stricter requirements on shrimp imports. 

Vietnam has been warned about technical barriers from other markets as well, such as Russia, Brazil and Mexico.

The market is always determined by buyers. Vietnamese exporters understand the rule. 

Tran Van Linh, chair of Thuan Phuoc Seafood & Trade in Da Nang province, said shrimp faces many barriers in export markets, but exporters have no other choice than to satisfy the strict requirements.

The Department of Fisheries has recently set up VietGAP, but the standards are not accepted by export markets.

Some analysts said in the long term, Vietnam should set up standards which cover all the standards of export markets. If so, Vietnam’s shrimp will be able to enter all choosy markets. 

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