China drops to 4th position among the countries that import Vietnam’s tra fish

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), from the beginning of the year until February 2021, the total import value of tra fish to the China - Hongkong market reached US$ 13.55 million, down 38.6% over the same period last year. Having been the top export market for Vietnamese tra fish in 2020, China - Hongkong has dropped down to 4th place (after the US, CPTPP countries, and EU), and only occupies 8.5% of the total tra fish’s export value.

The mentioned sharp decline is the consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, tra fish exports to China - Hongkong has encountered many obstacles because of this disease. Right at the beginning of 2020, the late comeback of Chinese seafood processing factories and the commerce interruption due to coronavirus has caused the export value of tra fish to this market to have such sudden sharp reduction.

Since the end of the second quarter and the start of the third quarter of 2020, tra fish export activities to China have become more bustling in preparation for the country’s National Day. In October 2020, the export price of the tra fish’s frozen fillet to China - Hongkong abruptly increased to US$ 2.52 / kg. This price rate is higher compared to the same period in 2019 and much higher compared to other months of the year, which fluctuates from US$ 1.55 to US$ 1.65 / kg.

However, after that, the disease control policy across the border and at ports and border gates for all imported food products has led to the delay of not only Vietnamese tra fish but also many seafood products of other countries while importing into China.

Furthermore, in the fourth quarter of 2020, the provincial government of Guangxi (China), which shares the border with 4 Vietnamese provinces including Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, also issued several requests to strengthen the management of frozen food import activities.

As followed, unless imported frozen food merchandises have all 4 documents, including a certificate of testing and quarantine for imported merchandise, a certificate of sterilization, legal traceability information, and Covid-19 negative nucleic acid test, they won’t be allowed for consumption on market.

Frozen food products imported to Guangxi through border gates and ports, when preserved, consumed and processed on local land, must be stored in the local centralized monitoring warehouse, take nucleic acid samples, sterilize the entire surface and manage the traceability of merchandises.

The mentioned regulations have made a great impact on Vietnam’s tra fish exports to China during the last months of 2020 and the first months of 2021.