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

Vietnam and Brazil Strengthen Economic Ties, VASEP Promotes Seafood Trade Cooperation

 |  18:00 10/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.

Seafood exports overcome challenges, impressive growth

 |  09:07 09/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.

Escaping the low-value raw export trap: Vietnam’s seafood industry embarks on a billion-dollar transformation

 |  08:18 07/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.

Vietfish 2026: The Comprehensive Ecosystem of Vietnam’s Seafood Industry

 |  15:21 05/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.

Vietnamese pangasius posts strong growth in the Colombian market

 |  08:23 04/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.

Hai Phong promotes high-tech farming of red tilapia and tilapia

 |  08:56 02/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.

Vietnam’s seafood exports reach US$5.8 billion in H1 2026: Growth maintained despite mounting cost, market, and logistics pressures

 |  09:26 30/06/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.

Vietnam’s tilapia industry strengthens management and food safety standards

 |  09:08 29/06/2026

(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.

Shrimp exports in the first five months: China drives growth while the U.S. remains under pressure

 |  08:59 26/06/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.

Ca Mau mud crab expands official export channels to international markets

 |  09:16 23/06/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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