As per the press release Viet Nam tuna exporters are facing shrunk tuna market in EU because EC’s regulations on IUU, higher tariffs imposed by Japan (in comparison with other countries in the region). In addition to this Viet Nam’s complicated formalities regarding importing tuna for re-processing and re-exporting have also increase the danger level.
According to EU norms all wild caught seafood shipments into this block must contain certificate of origin (C/C), that creates numerous difficulties to all – fishers, buyers and processors. Since the Viet Nam – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) came into effect, many Vietnamese tuna exporters are concerned of the import tariff rate set by Japan which is much higher in comparison with neighbouring countries.
Present record shows that Vietnamese tuna imported into Japan is imposed a rate of 7.2 percent, a 40 percent higher than those imposed on other regional countries. Japan has expressed no plan to phase out this tariff to zero percent, as they intend to do with other countries. Tuna exporters also face difficulties concerning shortage of domestic-caught qualified raw tuna, therefore, they have to import to reduce pressures of this situation.
