Create favorable conditions for quarantine of imported seafood products

The DoAH affirmed that the news about a list of imported aquatic products subjected for quarantine is more and more expanding, resulting in an increase in the number of goods to be inspected and making it difficult for enterprises to import aquatic animal products, is not accurate.

In recent years, to implement the Government's Resolution No. 19, the DoAH has recommended the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to issue many documents on specialized inspection, and business conditions within its assigned functions and tasks.

MARD has reduced and simplified many procedures

Accordingly, in the field of aquatic quarantine, administrative procedures have been amended and supplemented in the direction of reducing and simplifying. Specifically, on December 25, 2018, the MARD issued Circular No. 36/2018/TT-BNNPTNT amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Circular No. 26/2016/TT-BNNPTNT dated 30/6/2016 on quarantine of aquatic animals and animal products.

Those which are reduced and simplified by MARD include a list of subjects to be aquatic quarantined, sampling frequency and inspection criteria.

Lists of aquatic animals and animal products in aquatic quarantine (Section 6, Appendix I) are issued within Circular No. 15/2018 / TT-BNNPTNT dated October 29, 2018, of the MARD promulgating the HS Code Table for the List of goods under the management of the MARD.

Accordingly, lists of aquatic animals and animal products coded HS code (8 numbers) by the MARD have been much cut short compared to the past. Specifically, 160 product codes have been cut among a total of 450 codes compared to the past (a decrease of 36%). No import quarantine is applied for aquatic animal products that have been cooked, air sealed, and ready for immediate consumption.

Sampling frequency for quarantine follows the principles of product classification, basing on the risking level of imported aquatic animal products. Accordingly, for low-risk (processed) aquatic animal products, one every five lots should be sampled for inspection (a reduction of 80% in the number of shipments requiring inspection samples). For high-risk aquatic animal products (preliminary processed, fresh, frozen, chilled products), samples should be taken in three consecutively consignments. If the test results are satisfactory, then they will continue to follow the process that one every 5 lots to be sampled for inspection (a reduction of 80% in the number of lots to be sampled). The quarantine process is not applied for cooked, packed, sealed, and labeled seafood products as prescribed and used for immediate consumption.

The DoAH added that, at present, the Department is being assigned by the MARD to coordinate with relevant agencies under the ministry to review the Circular No. 15/2018/TT-BNNPTNT and confirmed that there is no extension in the “list of aquatic products” that must be quarantined as some mass media had reported.

Therefore, in recent times, administrative procedures in quarantine of imported aquatic animal products have been reduced and simplified, thereby reducing time and costs for import aquatic animal products enterprises.

Import countries strengthen quarantine

Competent agencies of the import countries also undertake a very strict quarantine on Vietnam’s aquatic animal products.

For Vietnamese frozen shrimp products (with the head but shell removed) exported to Australia: before being processed in workshops in Vietnam for export to Australia, each shipment must be taken samples to test for white spot and yellowhead diseases (the method of testing the disease must comply with the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). At the same time, each shipment, upon arrival in Australia, continues to be sampled for re-testing for the above-mentioned diseases. If it does not have pathogens and meets requirements other than Australia, it will be allowed to be imported to this country.

For seafood products (frozen shrimp and fish) from Vietnam to be exported to South Korean markets: The S. Korean competent authority also requires the shipment of seafood products from Vietnam to be taken samples for testing diseases before exporting to S. Korean market (the testing diseases include hepatopancreatic necrosis, Salmon hemorrhage, DIV1 virus, and TiLV virus). At the same time, shipments to S. Korea are also strictly quarantined by the S.  Korean authorities.