By the end of March 2024, Vietnam has exported 1,517 lots of live seafood to China; currently, no lots have been alerted for chemical residues or antibiotics.
According to VASEP, in the first three months of 2024, Vietnam’s seafood export turnover to China reached nearly USD 314 million, up 12.6% compared to the same period last year. China is the third largest destination of Vietnamese seafood in the first quarter of 2024, accounting for 16.1% of the total export turnover.
According to statistics from the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQPM), as of the end of March 2024, Vietnam has exported 1,517 lots of live seafood to China, and currently, no lots have been alerted for chemical residues or antibiotics.
As for live seafood, China currently requires management throughout the production chain, from farming/fishing, harvesting/collecting, transportation, packaging, to export and consumption.
The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) is proposing amendments to the draft decree on Vietnam’s live seafood exports to this market. Accordingly, codes, farming areas, and traceability information are required.
China also requires packaging facilities to register and be on the list allowed to export to China before officially becoming seafood suppliers to this market.
VASEP said that China has specific requirements for exported live seafood, including: Exported products are on the list recognized by China, 48 species of aquatic animals, and live seafood.
Farming facilities are inspected and certified by local aquaculture/ veterinary management agencies for food safety/hygiene conditions, issued with codes/sampled for disease monitoring during farming (giant freshwater prawn, live freshwater prawn).
NAFIQPM assesses the food safety conditions of those packaging facilities, and sends letters of recommendation along with registration documents from the facility to the Plant Quarantine and Animal Quarantine Supervision Department, GACC.
The Plant Quarantine and Animal Quarantine Supervision Department updates the list of qualified facilities on the GACC website.
Exported lots are issued certificates. The certificate list is sent to the Customs of China (Nanning) daily for cross-checking.
According to NAFIQPM, the process of assessing and issuing certificates for exporting live seafood to China is currently facing some difficulties, and businesses are advised to build supply chains; meanwhile, updating quality management programs according to actual registration with NAFIQPM.
VFM
