The National Association of Manufacturers of Canned Fish and Shellfish (Anfaco-Cecopesca) will meet on Tuesday with counterpart associations in Portugal and Azores to analyze the current state of the manufacturing industry of fishing-aquaculture products.
The canning industry is seeking the support of Portugal given the negotiation of the European Union (EU) with Thailand of a new Free Trade Agreement.
To Anfaco, the main point to discuss is the fact that "the great threat to the producing canned tuna sector in the EU implies liberalizing the entry of these Thai products into the EU market."
Therefore, a joint Portuguese-Spanish statement is expected to defend the canned fish and seafood industry given the trade negotiations, the newspaper Faro de Vigo reported.
Thailand is the world's leading producer of canned tuna and is a strong competitor in the sale of tuna, Anfaco stresses.
The Thai canning industry exports more than 91,000 tonnes per year to Europe although now it only has a 3.5 per cent reduction in fees those cans pay to enter EU countries.
Anfaco considers the elimination of tariffs on Thai canned tuna would not be justified and would jeopardize thousands of jobs in the EU, the newspaper La Voz de Galiciareported.
At this time, Spain is Europe's leading producer of canned tuna and the second one in the world.
The meeting in Matosinhos (Portugal) will be attended by Anfaco representatives of the National Association of Canned Fish Industries (ANICP) and of Pao do Mar, EFEagency reported.