(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam total production of wild-caught and farmed fish reached 2.627 millon MT in January - June 2012, 5 percent above the same time of 2011, it was still unable to satisfy the country’s need of raw materials for processing for export. Uncertain supply of seafood material(particularly marine fish) and more expensive price of these caused by rising input costs make processors keep increasing their imports of raw seafood from outside.
In the second quarter of 2012, Vietnam bought a total of US$173.4 million of raw fish from outside. In January – June 2012, it imported raw fish from 69 countries and territories with the total value of US$331 million, including US$13 million from returned fish cargo.
The most important supplier of Vietnam was Taiwan, mostly marine fish species. In which skipjack tuna accounted for the largest proportion.
Indonesia and Thailand were also main tuna suppliers of Vietnam. In addition, Vietnam processors purchased a great volume of shrimp from these countries as they failed to find enough fish in domestic market and the price was much higher than that of imported shrimp.
For the period, versue exports, the proportion of imported seafood into Vietnam for outsourcing and re-export was nearly 11 percent. So products derived from imported fish occupy a part in the national export earnings. Being similar to other local producing countries like Thailand, Vietnam government needs to review and amend its policies on import tax, quality inspection of exported seafood to the EU and bank guarantee for tax payment grace…in order to help seafood companies get more raw material for processing and re-export, bringing higher revenue and keeping jobs for workers.
In Q.II/2012, imported fish still remained under the pressure of high quarantine fees for consignment regulated in Circular No.4/2012/TT-BTC by Vietnam Ministry of Finances. Importers must be charged of the quarantine fee which is 300 percent higher than those set in the Circular 199/2010/TT-BTC of 13th December 2010. The fee calculation will be based on consignment weight.
In addition, ocean freight was two times higher than last year, leading to huge cost for imported fish. While Vietnamese seafood processors were grappling with serious lack of capital for operating, Vietnam Customs (under Ministry of Finances) suggested that companies needed bank guarantee to get import tax payment grace period of 275 days. Many of them worried that the complex procedures may lead to waste of time and money.
In 2012 and the coming years, Vietnam seafood companies are predicted to struggle with persistent difficulties concerning lack of capital and rise of 10 – 35 percent in all input (electricity, water, worker salary, raw material supply, testing fees, fuel, packaging…), so that import of seafood material for further processing to export is expected to rise.
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Vietnam import of fish, Jan – Jun 2012
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|
No.
|
Origin
|
Value (US$)
|
No.
|
Origin
|
Value (US$)
|
|
1
|
Taiwan
|
34,844,390
|
12
|
Canada
|
9,020,162
|
|
2
|
Indonesia
|
29,545,130
|
13
|
Ecuador
|
8,287,990
|
|
3
|
The U.S.
|
25,205,436
|
14
|
Denmark
|
7,684,646
|
|
4
|
Norway
|
22,358,624
|
15
|
China
|
7,184,402
|
|
5
|
Japan
|
21,026,424
|
16
|
Spain
|
5,195,361
|
|
6
|
South Korea
|
20,875,321
|
17
|
Tuvalu
|
4,724,041
|
|
7
|
Thailand
|
19,457,384
|
18
|
New Zealand
|
4,665,734
|
|
8
|
Poland
|
15,824,140
|
19
|
Myanmar
|
4,317,854
|
|
9
|
India
|
13,053,798
|
20
|
The U.K
|
3,895,645
|
|
10
|
Russia
|
10,553,422
|
|
Others
|
54,105,118
|
|
11
|
Chile
|
9,111,025
|
|
Total
|
330,936,047
|