Vietnamese and Australian aquaculture experts sat for a webinar workshop ‎yesterday to discuss how to promote aquaculture exports to the Australian market.

The workshop was designed to support Vietnamese aquaculture businesses to overcome difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic and help the country recover economic development with priority given to the export of aquaculture products. The workshop was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.

At the workshop, participants discussed the necessary certifications for Vietnamese aquaculture exports and measures to promote seafood exports to Australia. They also suggested that Vietnamese aquaculture enterprises need to apply digital transformation and e-commerce in aquaculture export.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Viet Nam has become one of the major seafood exporters that have made great impacts on global supply and demand in aquaculture products. Vietnamese seafood exports have been sold in 160 countries and territories, including the US, Europe, Japan, China, Korea, Canada and Australia.

In the first eight months of this year, the country's seafood exports reached nearly US$5.6 billion, increasing by about seven per cent thanks to high export results in the first seven months of the year. Of which, shrimp exports increased by 6.4 per cent to $2.45 billion, pangasius exports reached $993 million, up 8.8 per cent, and tuna exports grew 12 per cent while cephalopod and other fish exports rose by 4-5 per cent.

Over the years, Australia has become the 7th largest seafood export market of Viet Nam's aquaculture industry. The major seafood exports to Australia include shrimp, tuna, and pangasius. In the first eight months of this year, Viet Nam's seafood exports to Australia saw strong growth with an increase of 35.6 per cent.

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Quang Minh said Australia was one of the 10 largest trading partners of Viet Nam. Over the months, the two countries have closely coordinated in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minh added the Vietnamese government, businesses and people of Viet Nam have made great efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges to recover and maintain production and business activities. Australia is a market with a huge demand for seafood products, since 2008 until now, Viet Nam has been one of the largest seafood suppliers to this market.

Experts from VASEP said they hope that with better control of the COVID-19 pandemic, seafood exports will increase in the last three months this year.

According to industry insiders, thanks to this workshop, local businesses will better understand the necessary certifications for Vietnamese seafood exports to the Australian market. — VNS