According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), seafood exports continued to fall sharply in January 2023, following the trend of the last quarter of last year and the Lunar New Year holiday.

Hoping for some bright light early in the second quarter

At the end of the first month of the year, seafood exports brought in just $600 million, down 31% from January 2022. Where: Shrimp exports of all kinds brought in more than USD 169 million (down 46% compared to the same period last year); Pangasius export is USD 107 million (down 50%); Tuna exports were nearly $60 million (down 32%). The export value of some other important aquarium products continued to grow, ie: sales of other fish species reached USD 169 million (up 6%); Squid and octopus exports hit nearly $66 million (up 4%)…

According to economists, many risks remain in 2023, including the risk of an escalation of the war in Ukraine and the emergence of a transatlantic trade war that could further affect seafood supplies in key markets. This context can also be viewed as an opportunity for Vietnamese seafood to increase their supplies to the US, China and EU markets.

VASEP predicts that the picture for seafood exports will not improve in the first few months of the year if the global economy is expected to slip into recession this year.

However, for the hypermarkets, seafood is still a staple food and the demand will not fall too much. There will be adjustments in demand for product segments. Accordingly, the benefit will tend to gravitate toward lower-priced goods as they cater to low- and middle-income consumers — the group most affected by inflation.

In addition, China’s opening up gives great hope for demand recovery not only in this market but also in other markets around the world if tourism and trade go smoothly. And the recovery that this market brings with it will also show clear results from the second quarter of 2023 at the latest. Also, we can still be optimistic about markets that are expected to show economic growth this year, such as Asia, Middle East, etc.

In this context, it is important for fish companies to ensure financial health to maintain stable production and have raw materials ready when the consumption market recovers to be able to meet supply.

In addition, companies can benefit from each industry in terms of supply and consumption market factors by capturing market information and making forecasts. In addition, the business environment conditions are also gradually improving towards promoting more production and exports.

CONTINUED RECOMMENDATIONS TO ELIMINATE NUMEROUS IMPACT FOR FISHING COMPANIES

Ms. Le Hang, communications director of VASEP, said that regarding the seafood industry, many previously inadequate regulatory guidelines have been revised and removed in 2022.

First, it must be mentioned that Circular 06/2022/TT-BNNPTNT amending and supplementing Aquatic Quarantine Circulars, which abolished the quarantine requirements for frozen processed seafood products used as food, imported products for export production and export processing. After 7 years of recommendations, circular 06/2022 is the result of persistence and success of VASEP and seafood companies.

The year 2022 also marks a successful year for the association in political advocacy related to some contents of the Draft Regulation on the Environmental Protection Act 2020. After many recommendations, on January 10, 2022 the Government approved Regulation 08/2022/ND-CP Guideline of the Environmental Protection Act, in which over 70% of the recommendations of the associations have been incorporated and revised by the government.

In addition, VASEP and many other industry organizations have jointly proposed issues related to charging for the use of public infrastructure, services and utilities in the seaport area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City and the Bill Implementing Grassroots Democracy. As a result, Ho Chi Minh City has followed the associations’ recommendations (e.g. lowering the seaport infrastructure fee for imported goods and exported goods when opening declarations outside Ho Chi Minh City to the same level as the Tax rate) partially implemented when companies open declarations in Ho Chi Minh City, reduce the fee for goods held in bonded warehouses and goods transhipped) from August 1, 2022.

For the Grassroots Democracy Implementation Law, the National Assembly also passed the law responding to VASEP’s recommendation that the regulations on the People’s Inspection Committee should not be applied to private enterprises and organizations.

However, according to Ms. Le Hang, there are still long-standing issues that VASEP and companies must continue to accompany, recommending the relevant authorities to consider eliminating and creating a favorable business environment. , legal and reasonable.

The first, There are major issues with regulations on phosphorus limits (too strict) in QCVN 11-MT:2015 for effluent from aquatic product processing and in Draft QCVN for industrial effluent 2021, and there is no separate regulation on pond effluent standards. Pangasius cultivation.

Monday, The downside is that water sludge has not been classified as a TT-R code (this is the code for ordinary solid industrial waste).

Tuesday, Inadequacies in regulations on managing and using financial contributions from manufacturers and importers to the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund to support recycling and waste treatment.

Wednesday, Issues with regulations on the use of iodized salt in food processing set out in Decree 09/2016/ND-CP have not yet been revised and have not received specific feedback from the Ministry of Health.

Regarding the nutritional labeling of food, the Ministry of Health is collecting comments for a draft that contains many regulations that are not suitable for the region and the world, do not comply with risk management principles and are contrary to Decree 111/2021. ND-CP, Vietnamese practice and international practices that create costs and negatively affect production and business.

However, the Ministry of Health has not yet received any proposals from food industry associations. The ministry has not yet published a new draft, but it has not published this circular either.

Thursday, two issues weigh on companies: namely, the regulation on the collection rate of union dues of 2% of the salary fund and the regulation of a high rate of social security contributions. These two issues have been proposed many times in writing by VASEP and associations and discussed but not taken into account in meetings with the Government, the General Confederation of Trade Unions and the Ministry of Labour, Invalidity and Social Affairs.