Imported animal products for export production exempt from quarantine

Packaging seafood to export. Photo: T.H

According to Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the obstacles of seafood enterprises, such as quarantine applied for seafood importing to serve export processing and production, have been removed.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Circular 06/2022/TT-BNNPTNT amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Circulars on quarantine of aquatic animals and animal products produce.

Accordingly, aquatic animal products imported as raw materials for export processing or production are now exempt from quarantine.

The list of aquatic animals and animal products exempt from quarantine has been amended to include: animals and aquatic animal products imported products in the diplomatic category; aquatic animal products imported as raw materials for export processing or production; aquatic animal products imported as test samples; aquatic animal products imported for display at fairs and exhibitions and aquatic animal products used as food for export are recalled or returned.

According to the new Circular, aquatic animal products subject to quarantine include; aquatic animal products (including embryos, eggs, semen and larvae of aquatic species) in fresh, chilled and frozen form and other aquatic animal products subject to quarantine at the request of the importing country or under the provisions of international treaties that Vietnam has signed or acceded to.

Besides the contents that have been revised, businesses have requested the Department of Animal Health to add to the draft about the quarantine for aquatic products which originated from imported for export production and processing and changed their use purpose to domestic consumption as this is the actual demand of enterprises in production and business activities which contributes to meeting the current State control and management requirements in the inspection of aquatic products of imported origin.

According to Ms. Ta Ha, VASEP's shutchi catfish market expert, the supplement of this regulation is contributes to meeting the current state control and management requirements in the inspection of imported aquatic products.

To change to any type, enterprises need to fully implement the declaration and inspection process in accordance with the current regulations of that type. At that time, the competent authority (the Animal Health Authority) has enough control tools to ensure that the seafood consignments are converted to the type of import that guarantee food safety and there is no evidence that this imported seafood shipment “creates unfair competition” with other imported shipments, as they have been inspected in accordance with regulations.

Furthermore, according to the representative of VASEP, the legal regulations in the field of customs still allow enterprises to change the type of imported goods. According to Decree 59/2018/ND-CP dated April 20, 2018 and Circular 39/2018/TTBTC dated April 20, 2018, on customs procedures and customs inspection, supervision and control, imported goods exempted from tax are still allowed to change the purpose of use, as long as the customs declarant must re-declare a new customs declaration and must strictly comply with the import and export goods management policy, the tax policy for such goods following the new type of import.

Although the above recommendation has not been resolved, the significant changes in Circular 06/2022/TT-BNNPTNT are good news for seafood processing enterprises, helping reduce the burden of the current situation.

After seven years, the proposal to remove the quarantine regulations for aquatic products imported for processing and production for export has been positively received by the Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development via the issuance of Circular 06/2022/TT-BNNPTNT, removing the burden of procedures for seafood enterprises, create conditions for enterprises to import raw materials for export processing and production in the context of unstable domestic raw materials and seasonal shortages, while the import demand of the world market increases.