After air and ocean routes, frozen pangasius cargoes from Vietnam to China transported via land borders between the two countries are now subject to compulsory testing and disinfection measures to avoid any potential transmission of the coronavirus, Thanh Nien Online reported 14 December.
The new measures for the imported cargoes via land borders became effective 10 December, the newspaper quoted customs officials from Vietnam’s Lang Son Province – which borders China – as saying.
All cargoes will be disinfected at the land borders with a fee of CNY 900 (USD 138, EUR 113) per container before they are allowed to be distributed in China.
The inspections have significantly delayed pangasius shipments into China and added more disinfection and storage fees for exporters from Vietnam, the newspaper said.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) last month asked pangasius companies not to panic as their export cargoes began piling up at Chinese ports due to the latter’s heightened inspection regime on imported frozen seafood.
In a statement released on 30 November, VASEP said since 10 November, at major Chinese ports, customs authorities are now testing and disinfecting all frozen seafood cargoes for the coronavirus. As a result, cargoes of Vietnamese seafood, including pangasius, are facing delays in delivery.
Also on 30 November, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the ministries of agriculture and trade to closely monitor the situation around the Chinese inspections on seafood cargoes from Vietnam. He also directed the two ministries to provide specific guidance for Vietnamese exporters to strictly follow China’s requirements.
Between January and October 2020, China remained the top buyer of pangasius from Vietnam, with sales value reaching USD 428.3 million (EUR 352.4 million), though sales were down 18 percent year-on-year.
Pangasius prices in Mekong Delta have fluctuated recently due mainly to higher demand from China before year-end festivals amid tightened import inspections.
The average farmgate price was VND 21,000 (USD 0.91, EUR 0.75) per kilogram, or lower, in An Giang Province in the week ending 10 December, up VND 500 (USD 0.022, EUR 0.018) per kilogram from the week before. The prices were kept at between VND 18,000 and VND 19,000 (USD 0.78 and USD 0.82, EUR 0.64 and EUR 0.68) per kilogram for several months, according to data from Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Photo courtesy of Claudine Van Massenhove/Shutterstock
