As soon as the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture again imposed all-out ethoxyquin tests on shrimp products imported from Vietnam from August 31, 2012, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) have responsively taken many measures to maintain shrimp export growth to this important market.
Worsening market development
In the first seven months of this year, Japan, the U.S. and the EU accounted for 61.6 percent of Vietnam’s shrimp exports. Japan was the largest importer of Vietnamese shrimps with 27 percent of market share. This was the only of the three largest importers to make the growth of 23.7 - 52.5 percent in value in the five straight months. So far, this market still offers the greatest opportunity for Vietnam to maintain shrimp export growth because it is a huge shrimp import market with a wide range of segments, competition and higher import prices than other markets.
Since May 2012, Japan officially inspected Ethoxyquin residue on 30 percent of shrimp consignments originated from Vietnam with maximum residue limits (MRLs) of 0.01 ppm (10 ppb). In August, Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a letter to the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan with content related to concerns about Ethoxyquin residues in shrimp exports to the Japanese market. Accordingly, the Ministers requested the Japanese side temporarily apply the maximum residue levels (MRL) of Ethoxyquin on shrimp which is 1 ppm, similar to the Japanese regulations for the import of fish products because the total imported amount of shrimp and fish of the Japanese people are equal. Japan positively reacted with the abolition of 30 percent of tests on shrimps imported from Vietnam while preserving the MRL level and test percentage.
On August 20, 2012, the Japanese authorities reinstated the ethoxyquin testing percentage of 30 percent after detecting one batch containing the banned substance. On August 31, it raised the level to 100 percent until now. Japan’s tightened Ethoxyquin testing of Vietnamese shrimps caused a value drop of 22.3 percent in this market from a year ago, the biggest decrease since the start of the year.
Replaced substance for Ethoxyquin in Sep
Since Japan used the technical barrier called Ethoxyquin to Vietnamese shrimps, Vietnamese authorities immediately took actions to resolve the matter. However, according to a VASEP official, those solutions were not strong enough. At a meeting in August of the General Department of Fisheries, VASEP Vice Secretary General Nguyen Hoai Nam recommended the General Department to apply more drastic and effective measures to save the country’s shrimp export to the Japanese market. He underscored VASEP’s proposed solutions stated in the Document No. 90/2012/CV-VASEP dated September 4, 2012 sent the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. VASEP’s proposed solutions included continued resolute diplomacy in a bid to eradicate discrimination against Vietnamese shrimps from shrimps imported from other countries into the Japanese market. He also suggested the agricultural sector search for an alternative substance for Ethoxyquin as directed by Agriculture Minister Cao Duc Phat at a meeting with VASEP on August 24, 2012. Besides, the sector must quickly issue regulations on Ethoxyquin limit in shrimp feeds at 0.5 ppm instead of the current 150 ppb.
In an effort to save the shrimp exporting industry, Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam said the agriculture sector is seeking for a replacement for Ethoxyquin. This job is determined to be completed in September 2012.
Mr Bui Duc Quy, Director of the Aquatic Testing, Experimenting and Quarantine Centre under the General Department of Fisheries, said, thec centre has found out two antioxidants like Ethoxyquin, namely BHA (Butylated Hydroxyl Anisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxyl Toluence), which are replaceable to Ethoxyquin. However, the substitution will make feed prices higher.
Currently, the Japanese authorities only apply Ethoxyquin testing on Vietnamese shrimp while it does not impose on shrimps imported from other markets like Thailand. Japan’s food safety monitoring programme in 2012 only coverstesting Chloramphenicol, Furazolidone, Trifluralin, Enrofloxacin, not Ethoxyquin.
Many countries apply higher Ethoxyquin limits than Vietnam. For example, the EU permits 150 ppb and the US allows 75 ppb. In Japan, Ethoxyquin in fishmeal is limited at 150 ppb.
Nguyen Thanh
Vietnamese
