Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam has becomeone of the three largest white-fleshed fish suppliers for Brazil, with the exportvalue of Tra fish to the market reaching 104.7 million USD in 2017, up 54percent against 2016.

According to the Vietnam Associationof Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Brazil - which has annually importedmore than 1 billion USD in the value of aquatic products since 2012, is now oneof the largest markets of Vietnam’s Tra fish.

This is a potential market in South America for Vietnam’s aquatic products,especially Tra fish, the association said.

Statistics from the International Trade Centre showed Brazil ranked 21st globally in importing aquatic products in 2016.

Vietnam’s exports of aquatic products to Brazil have risen over the pastfew years but its market share remains limited.

The situation is attributable to the fact that Vietnamese exporters are meetingdifficulties in selling their aquatic products in Vietnam’s traditional marketssuch as the US and EU.

In the first months of 2018, Brazil was still one of the most important marketsof Vietnam’s Tra fish.

However, processors and exporters said their exports of aquatic products to thecountry still face difficulties and risks because the market applies strict regulationson quality standards and technical barriers to protect Brazilian producers.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has paid attention topromoting negotiations with the Brazilian side, towards making it easier for Vietnameseaquatic products to enter the market.

MARD’s Department of Animal Health recently askedVASEP to point out difficulties facing Vietnamese enterprises in exportingaquatic products to Brazil.

VASEP Vice General Secretary To Thi Tuong Lan said the department should help aquaticfirms update Brazil's import information and regulations as quickly as possible,as well as identify risks related to trade protection.

It is necessary to have measures to prove that shrimps from Vietnam do not poseinfection risk to shrimps in importing countries, she stressed.

Recently, during his visit to Brazil, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue alsoasked the Brazilian government to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese aquaticbusinesses to export their products such as Tra and basa fish and shrimps tothe country.

Vietnam’s seafood exports reached avalue of nearly 4 billion USD in the first half of 2018, up 12.3 percentyear-on-year, according to VASEP. 

In June, basa fish brought home more than 200million USD, up nearly 33 percent annually, bringing the six-month figure toabout 1 billion USD, up 21 percent. 

Firms predicted that seafood exports will keepgrowing over the last half of the year thanks to an increase in demand. Severaldomestic processing enterprises have signed contracts for major holidays laterthis year. 

The country’sexport of aquatic products is forecast to continue growing strongly for therest of the year.-VNA