US tightens imports of Vietnamese basa and tra fish

Exporting Vietnamese pangasius to the US market will face new barriers when the 2014 Farm Bill takes effect.

Today (December 8), Mr. Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that the export of Vietnamese pangasius to the US market will face new barriers when the Farm Bill 2014 takes effect. Thus, Vietnamese pangasius (including basa) exported to the US will have to comply with very strict requirements and regulations, and will only be imported into the US if it can prove the similarity in farming in Vietnam with farming in the US.

Pangasius fish. Photo Internet.

From March 2016, the Farm Bill took effect after 90 days of publication. Under this Act, the control of Silurifoesm catfish, whether domestically farmed or imported, will be transferred from the US Food and Drug Administration, under the Department of Health and Human Services (FDA), to the Food and Agricultural Safety and Inspection Service, under the US Department of Agriculture (FSIS).

Thus, when exporting Vietnamese tra fish (including basa) to the United States, they will have to comply with very strict requirements and regulations, and can only be imported into the United States if they can prove the similarity in farming in Vietnam with farming in the United States. Although the previous FDA regulations were strict, the FSIS's approach is even stricter in terms of review time, standards for breeds, antibiotic control, veterinary drug residues, transportation, factories, etc.

From now until March next year, the Vietnamese side must send a list of companies that are exporting and wish to export to the United States (name, expected quantity). Enterprises wishing to export should have a general or shortened list through Vasep for on-site inspection of similarities on the Vietnamese side. Submit a set of documents proving compliance with FDA regulations to prove eligibility for transitional export. This is not a document proving similarity. The US Department of Agriculture will review and provide comments to relevant parties.

According to Vasep, it is not possible to predict the next developments because we do not yet know all the specific regulations and requirements of FSIS, but it can be said that some of FSIS's regulations go against some regulations of the WTO, of which the United States and Vietnam are both members. Vietnam can sue this matter./.

According to VOV.VN