Singapore aims to be Asian seafood trade hub

Other 14:30 13/09/2014 502
Singapore’s seafood firms have been busy this year opening new markets, with trips to China, Burma and India in the past year to source and sell seafood.

Singaporean firms have built factories in Malaysia and Indonesia but as production ramps up they need overseas markets, according to the head of the Seafood Industries Association of Singapore (SIAS).

Speaking to SeafoodSource, SIAS President Michael Tan, said Singapore is seeking to leverage its geography in the heart of southeast Asia — as well as its long-established trading links with China, India and the West — to trade and process seafood.

Tan credits Singaporean government efforts to encourage automation and good practices in seafood processors while also developing markets for firms. Likewise, he points to a strict, transparent food safety regime as well as a well-established Halal food industry that offers opportunities for exports to the Middle East.

Among the Halal-certified offerings on show at the recent Seafood Expo Asia trade show in Hong Kong: a “Fischeon” canned luncheon-style meat made from sardines and tuna by the Thong Siek firm, which also produces fish balls and breaded fish fingers under the Dodo brand sold regionally.

Also seeking exports is operator of the Ocean Bella brand, Cellmore Pte, which farms grouper and barramundi in Malaysia — the fish is packaged and retailed in steak, filet and tempura forms in the Singaporean market. Another Singaporean firm, Jurong Cold Store Pte, farms 300 hectares of shrimp ponds in west Kalimantan in Indonesia: Jurong claims to harvest 3,000 metric tons (MT) per year of vannemei, black tiger and sea white, as well as cuttlefish.

Singaporean firms are also increasingly looking to China to process and sell seafood. Among these is Hock Lian Huat, which has been promoting its shrimp crackers in the wealthy eastern province of Zhejiang. The firm was set up by an emigrant from China in 1928.

Indonesia has a market and produce. China has a huge market but little produce because they are increasingly keeping their seafood for domestic consumption rather than exports,” explained Tan.

Singapore imported 200,000 MT of seafood in 2012 and consumption and imports are both on the rise, says Tan. He stresses cooperation between SIAS and the Agri Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in ensuring western food safety and management standards are enforced at local firms.

Others operating out of Singapore as a hub include Frank Naesheim, the Scandinavian boss of Snorre Food, a long-time supplier of salmon to local caterers and airline catering companies. Naesheim claims Snorre popularized salmon in the region by tutoring Singaporean chefs to use the Norway-sourced fish in the traditional lo hei Chinese New Year dish.

The wealthy Southeast Asian nation, whose economy is heavily reliant on trade, manufacturing and financial services, has lately been grappling with slow growth and comparatively high inflation caused in part by weakness in key export markets. New restrictions on foreign workers meanwhile — in part due to local protests over a ballooning immigrant population — have raised costs and for the city state’s expansion-minded firms.

Nonetheless, Singapore is expected to report 3.5 percent GDP growth in 2013, thanks to a perceived turn-around in the U.S. and EU economies. “Externally-oriented sectors like manufacturing and transportation and storage” would support growth, predicted the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Industry in a recent statement.

Bạn đang đọc bài viết Singapore aims to be Asian seafood trade hub tại chuyên mục Other của Hiệp hội VASEP

TIN MỚI CẬP NHẬT

Vietnamese tilapia explores new segments and markets

 |  10:10 21/09/2026

(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.

Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the first eight months of 2026: positive growth continues as competition shifts toward efficiency and value

 |  10:35 19/09/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth has begun to slow and become more differentiated across markets, while the U.S. and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global Shrimp Forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers increasingly focus on quality, product specifications, supply stability and the ability to meet market-specific demand.

August 2026 seafood exports: Growth slows, momentum continues to pivot to Asia

 |  15:28 17/09/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In August 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $1.14 billion, up 6% year on year. Cumulative eight-month exports rose 11.8% to $8.00 billion, though momentum has cooled compared to the 12.8% growth seen through July. China - Hong Kong and ASEAN are offsetting weakness in the U.S, EU and partly Japan. This divergence will likely widen in Q4 as trade tariffs and traceability requirements directly weigh on new orders.

Vietnamese tuna gains wider access to Russia amid a new phase of cooperation

 |  15:38 15/09/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam–Russia relations are entering a new phase of cooperation, with a focus on expanding trade, investment and economic connectivity. Against this backdrop, tuna is emerging as one of the seafood products with significant growth potential in the Russian market. Export data for the first seven months of 2026 show strong growth in Vietnamese tuna exports to Russia. However, turning this momentum into sustainable market share will require businesses to address challenges related to logistics, payment and supply competition.

Vietnamese brackish-water tilapia enters Japan’s sashimi market

 |  11:02 14/09/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese tilapia is moving into a higher-value segment as brackish-water farmed fish from the Mekong Delta is now being processed for sashimi and exported regularly to Japan.

Addressing the IUU “Yellow Card” in Ca Mau: Digitalizing Data and Tightening Fishing Vessel Management

 |  14:53 08/09/2026

(seafoo.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Province is stepping up efforts to protect aquatic resources and promote transparent and sustainable fisheries, joining the country’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC) remove its “yellow card” warning for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Vietnam emerges as key seafood supplier to China’s $20 billion market

 |  08:28 07/09/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam has strengthened its position in China’s massive seafood market, becoming the largest lobster supplier while maintaining a dominant share of the country’s imported pangasius.

What did businesses and buyers find at Vietfish 2026?

 |  10:14 03/09/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026 was more than just a larger exhibition space. Through B2B meetings, booth discussions, production-chain visits and post-show feedback, businesses and buyers found something more concrete: suitable suppliers, processing capabilities, technology solutions, new markets and a foundation for building long-term trust and partnerships.

Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the US: a large market, but a breakthrough remains elusive

 |  07:54 02/09/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States declined significantly in the first seven months of 2026. Cumulative export value reached US$18 million, down 42% from the same period in 2025. In July alone, exports amounted to just US$2 million, plunging 70%, indicating a clear slowdown in import demand from the US market.

The future workforce: the fisheries sector must become a career of choice

 |  07:58 31/08/2026

(vasep.com.vn) At the seminar “Global Seafood Markets and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities and Directions for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Fisheries Sector,” held as part of VIETFISH 2026, Ms. Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy, Fisheries Officer (Markets) and GLOBEFISH Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), presented initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation in fisheries and aquaculture.

VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM

Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội

Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO

Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu

Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông

Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn

Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh

Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn

VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội

Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn

© Copyright 2020 - Mọi hình thức sao chép phải được sự chấp thuận bằng văn bản của VASEP

DANH MỤC