Cambodia Lifts Import Ban on Vietnamese Farmed Fish

The Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries issued a press release on February 8, announcing the resumption of the import of farmed fish from Vietnam. The import ban, which was announced on January 19, cited concerns over customs clearance and the technical standards of Vietnamese shipments. Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh expressed concerns that the ban was running counter to the trade liberalization spirit of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the ASEAN Economic Community.

Key Takeaways:

• The Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will continue to collect feedback from the Cambodian Aquaculture Association, importers, exporters, and concerned agencies to establish technical standards for farmed fish imports.
• Le Bien Cuong, head of the Vietnamese trade affairs office in Cambodia, stated that Cambodia has shown goodwill and an active response to the situation.
• Cambodia will consider imposing additional non-tariff technical measures, including certificates of product origin and quality, for farmed fish imports.
• The Vietnamese ministry reports that Vietnam exports approximately 60 million USD worth of aquatic products to Cambodia annually, with a significant contribution to cross-border trade development, job creation, and income generation for local residents.

Statistics:

• Vietnam exports around 60 million USD worth of aquatic products to Cambodia annually.
• The Cambodian market is not a major market for Vietnamese aquatic products, but it has a stable import demand.
• Cambodia is a member of the ASEAN Economic Community, along with Vietnam, and has committed to trade liberalization.

Sources:

• "Cambodia lifts import ban on Vietnamese farmed fish," Vietnam News Agency, February 8.
• Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Vietnam News Agency.