Viet Nam’s tra fish sold at Aeon supermarkets in Japan is listed among “TopValu” products, which are goods of superior quality.

Keisuke Hino, who manages AEON’s aquatic products section in the northern Kanto and Niigata region, said to meet TopValu standards, products must satisfy consumers’ taste and be produced in line with AEON’s strict process.

The Vietnamese tra fish product made following the recipe of the eel dish – a traditional food of Japan in the summer – is being sold at AEON supermarkets since June, and the retailing group plans to expand the sale of this product in the future, he added.

Ta Duc Minh, trade counsellor and chief representative of Viet Nam’s Industry and Trade Ministry in Japan, said the country’s tra fish exports to Japan were some US$14 million in 2016 and $7 million in the first five months of 2017.

To boost shipments of tra fish to Japan, it was very important to ensure food safety and align fish farming, packaging and labeling activities with Japanese standards, he added.

Aside from tra fish, bananas, mangoes and red-flesh dragon fruits are considered strategic goods helping to increase the two countries’ trade revenue. — VNS