Cambodia has rescinded a ban on catfish imports following an outcry from Vietnam.
On 8 January, Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries announced it would suspend imports of four catfish species, including pangasius, in an effort to protect its local fish farmers. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Cambodian ministry officially terminated the ban on 8 February.
Vietnam’s catfish export trade to Cambodia can now resume under normal market conditions, the Vietnamese ministry said. But it issued a warning to the country’s exporters to be on the lookout for potential changes in Cambodia’s requirements for hygienic and food safety standards.
Cambodia’s reversal came after a complaint from Vietnamese Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh, who sent a letter to Cambodian Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak to express his concern over the impact of the ban, which he said would negatively impact businesses in both countries. Anh also complained the move ran counter to the spirit of trade liberalization policies set out by the World Trade Organization and the ASEAN Economic Community, of which both countries are members.
In response to Vietnam’s objection, Sorasak held a meeting with Cambodia Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Veng Sakhon on 29 January to discuss a reconsideration of the ban, the Vietnam ministry said.
Pricing concerns played a role in the ban, with Vietnamese pangasius selling in Cambodia for VND 18,000 (USD 0.78, EUR 0.64) per kilogram, much lower than VND 30,000 (USD 1.30, EUR 1.10) per kilogram offered by Cambodian traders for domestic product, Vietnam’s Tuoi tre Online reported.
Vietnam exported seafood products worth about USD 52.8 million (EUR 43.5 million) to Cambodia in 2020, up 10.7 percent from USD 47.7 million (EUR 39.3 million) in 2019.
However, Vietnam’s seafood exports to Cambodia tumbled to USD 2.95 million (EUR 2.45 million) in January, the month the ban came into effect. That total was down by 38.2 percent from the USD 4.8 million (EUR 4 million) worth of seafood Vietnam shipped to Cambodia in January 2020, Vietnamese customs data showed.
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