Trade ministry calls on Australian Government to lift ban on shrimp imports

Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has recently sent his letter to the Minister of Commerce and Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Australia, calling on the Australian Government to soon lift its ban on prawn and uncooked shelled shrimp imports.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh sent his letter to the Minister of Commerce and Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Australia to called on the Australian Government to soon lift its ban on prawn and uncooked shelled shrimp imports, saying that it poses negative impacts on Vietnam’s shrimp breeding and processing sector.

On January 7, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced the suspension of prawn and uncooked shelled shrimp imports from Asian nations in fear of white spot disease outbreaks in Australia. The ban took effective on January 9, 2017 and will last for six months.

Shrimp shipments which departed the exporting country on or after January 9, 2017 will be re-exported or destroyed when arriving in Australia. Other shipments en route to Australia will face strict examinations.

Right after the announcement, the Ministry of Industry and Trade instructed related bodies and the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia to update relevant associations and enterprises on the information while working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to seek suitable solutions.

The Office worked with the Seafood Importers Association of Australia to have common voices in raising concern over the ban’s negative impacts on Australian shrimp importers and consumers as well as Vietnamese shrimp farmers and exporters.

The agency also met with representatives from several shrimp exporters to voice their common concern to the Australian Government.

Meanwhile, at his working session with Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick in Hanoi on February 10, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh told huge losses caused by the ban to Vietnamese shrimp farmers and exporters, calling the Australian Government to consider, devise alternative measures and soon lift the ban in order not to impact growing trade relations between the two countries.

Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue working with related bodies from the two nations to ask the Australian Government to remove the ban as soon as possible in the coming time. 

Translated by Thu Minh

Source: Khac Kien-Kinhtedothi.vn