Although the situation of exporting pangasius and shrimp to Brazil is more gloomy than in previous years, by promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in 2019 and especially , from the beginning of 2020, it is reported that the Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) has approved a number of requirements to facilitate the export of shrimp and shrimp products. This approval will open up to Vietnam an opportunity to boost its export to the potential Brazil market in the near future.
Facing with difficulties related to the technical barriers for exporting fish and fisheries products of Vietnam to Barzil market, the MARD of Vietnam and the Embassy of Brazil came up with the information exchange and trade promotion of aquatic products and terrestrial animals in 2019. After receiving the responses to the list of Fisheries Management questions from MARD, on August 21st, 2019, the MAPA asked Vietnam to provide additional documents and information related to controlling residues, veterinary hygiene, microorganisms, pathogens in shrimp production in Vietnam to consider opening markets for Vietnamese shrimp products. Shortly thereafter, from Vietnamese side, the Department of Animal Health of MARD directly had a response to the additional questions of the Brazilian Authority on shrimp export (Official Letter No. 1700 / TY-TS dated September 18th, 2019) and forward these requests of the Brazilian Authority the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality assurance Department (NAFIQAD) (Official Letter No. 1710 / TY-TS dated September 20th, 2019) to respond to the contents according to the functions and tasks of the unit.
Earlier, in 2019, the units belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Department of Animal Health, Directorate of Fisheries, National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality assurance Department) and Brazilian Embassy had a meeting to discuss the solutions to technical issues related to Vietnamese seafood exports to Brazil (proposal indicates the results of the evaluation of export documents; proposal about regulations on the use of phosphate salt according to Codex and export of frozen whole shrimp; adjusted regulations about heat treatment of shrimp products; abolished regulations on product registration before exporting or updating software with available use of English in the product registration process).
Also In 2019, the agenda of the senior leaders of the two countries as well as the exchanges of leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and her affiliates actively directed and coordinated exchanges with MAPA to promote negotiations removing market barriers. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent the Official Letter 282 / ICD-MARD to Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, which included the proposals of opening the shrimp import market and removing technical barriers in Vietnam’s frozen pangasius export. In addition, the Letter also suggested time for the visit of the leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to Brazil, with negotiation and agreement as the goals.
Right from the beginning of 2020, by sending the Official Letter No. 05/20 together with the Official Letter No. 008/2020-Hanoi on January 10th, 2020 of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) to the Department of Animal Health, the Brazilian Embassy in Hanoi aprroved a number of requirements to facilitate the export of shrimp and shrimp products from Vietnam.
In addition, MAPA has sent an Official Letter to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on agricultural cooperation between the two countries. MAPA has also proposed signing in the minutes of establishing a task force to adjust the regulations according to the situation of the two countries (regarding phosphate salts in pangasius); has established an electronic label registration system in English.
With more than 190 million consumers, Brazil is a large market which is very fond of seafood products in general and Vietnamese pangasius in particular. According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietnam's seafood exports to Brazil in 2019 reached more than 62,707 million USD, of which pangasius accounted for 98% of the total price.
In 2019, Brazil's seafood import value came mainly from many large and traditional sources such as Argentina, China or Portugal increased regularly, but the value of imports from Vietnam decreased.
According to VASEP, there are currently more than 10 pangasius enterprises maintaining export to Brazil, of which, the larger export value to this market comes from the pangasius enterprises of Can Tho and Ben Tre. The Brazilian market is still considered by the Vietnamese pangasius export enterprises as a potential export market in South America.
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