(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With an export turnover of 21 million USD, Vietnam became the second largest seafood supplier in Switzerland, after Norway.
According to the Agency of Foreign Trade (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first 8 months of 2022, Vietnam’s seafood exports to Switzerland reached more than 21 million USD, an increase of 8% compared to the same period 2021. Currently, Vietnam is the second largest seafood supplier in this market (after Norway).
By products, frozen shrimp accounts for 81% in the total seafood export value to Switzerland, frozen pangasius accounts for 17%, the remaining are frozen tuna, frozen clam, frozen eel, ect.
According to the statistics of ITC, in the first 6 months of 2022, Switzerland’s import turnover reached 454 million USD, up 6% compared to the same period in 2021. Vietnam seafood accounted for 11.3% of Switzerland's total import turnover.
The AFT assesses Switzerland as a potential market for Vietnamese seafood as Switzerland is a developed country.
Because the domestic supply only meets the need of 12% of the total consuming demand, Switzerland needs to depend more on imported seafood. Switzerland imports about 74 thousand tons of fish and more than 115 thousand tons of shrimp annually.
Vietnam was the second largest seafood supplier (after Norway) in Switzerland
However, enterprises that intend to promote export to this market must pay attention to the product quality issues. Switzerland is a market that requires very high quality imported products with a very strict import licensing regime to ensure the requirements of health, food hygiene and safety.
All food sold in Switzerland must comply with European and Swiss food labeling regulations. Consumers in this country are very interested in eco-labels and are willing to pay extra if the product meets health and environmental requirements.
Besides, Switzerland attaches great importance to the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) standard and has for many years been the country with the largest number of MSC-labeled seafood products consumption in the world.
Demand for seafood with MSC certified is increasing. There are many companies trading whitefish, salmon, herring and tuna in Switzerland that have obtained COC (chain of safety certification) and use the MSC label on their seafood products.
For farmed products, ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) is also emerging as an important and increasingly demanded standard in Switzerland.
The ASC logo is present on many tilapia and pangasius products in many Swiss supermarkets. Many of the country's companies and retailers have increased the import and distribution of ASC certified farmed seafood products.
Compiled by Thuy Linh