Seafood News:

The US and EU markets have eased the social distance, reopened and the vaccine is widely injected. The long social distancing period also help shifting consumers habit toward frozen shrimp. The demand for shrimp imports from these markets is very high from now until November to serve Christmas. Mr. Le Van Quang, Chairman of Minh Phu Seafood Group said that the market demand for large shrimps is very good with high export prices. In order to increase capacity in the current shortage of workers, the factories should increase production of large sizes to maximize production capacity (up to 3 times compare to smaller sizes), and to earn higher value. Farmers should focus on farming large size shrimp, especially size from 10 to 40 pieces/kg.

Currently, it is estimated that only 30-40% of seafood manufacturers in the Mekong Delta are assessed to be able to restore production after the Covid-19 epidemic. Soc Trang province, one of the largest raw material source, has carefully prepared steps to restore the shrimp production chain, but farmers are worry about the low prices of raw materials, especially size from 70 to 100 pieces/kg, could lead to shortage of raw materials by year-end time.

The EU is Vietnam’s third largest shrimp import market, after the US and Japan, accounting for 14.6% of the total value of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to markets. The shrimp supplies in Asia for the EU market include India, Vietnam, Indonesia… in which, Ecuador is emerging as a strong competitor with shrimp supplies from Asia. Ecuador has the advantage of low shrimp prices and easy transportation, and they are making plans to position high-quality, sustainable shrimp products in the European market.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh set a deadline for coastline provinces to stop illegal fishing by the end of 2021, to avoid the risk of EU fines “red card” if there is no improvement. Vietnam was issued a “yellow card” by the European Commission in October 2017 and warned that it may ban seafood imports from Vietnam. Vietnam is currently facing a loss of up to US$ 480 million per year in seafood exports to the EU market if it is penalized with a “red card”.

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced the preliminary results of the 17th period of review (POR17) for the period from August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020, regarding Vietnam’s tra and basa fish (pangasius) exported to the US. Nha Trang Seafood Joint Stock Company (NTSF) and Bien Dong (East Sea) Seafood Joint Stock Company (ESS) are requested to answer the survey questionnaire. The tax rate on Bien Dong’s products is set at 3.87 USD per kg. The remaining reviewed companies continue to be taxed at 2.39 USD per kg as in the previous years. Big Vietnamese exporters, including Vinh Hoan JSC and Nam Viet Joint Stock Company and NTSF, are not subject to the anti-dumping tariff.

Covid-19 situation:

Vietnam Nationwide

• Around 8 metric tons of medical equipment and supplies including ventilators, heart rate monitors, anti-droplet glasses, masks, medical protective gear, and more worth about US$4 million, donated by the Polish government to the Vietnamese government, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Sep 11.
• Vietnam has received 672,000 doses from France and 812,060 doses from Italy of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine via Covax on Sep 14, according to a press release by UNICEF Vietnam.
• A batch of 852,480 AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses donated by Germany via the Covax initiative arrived in Hanoi on Sep 16.
• State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed appreciation to the government and people of Japan for their valuable assistance toward combating COVID-19 in Vietnam, during his phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on Sep 15.

Ho Chi Minh City

• HCMC will continue imposing the tough Directive 16 lockdown till September 30, but ease the lockdown in some districts where the situation is stable.
• The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has asked the Ministry of Health for permission to shorten the interval between two doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to 6 weeks, compared with the recommended pause from 8 to 12 weeks, in order to expedite inoculation.
• Ho Chi Minh City will provide coronavirus vaccination for all foreign nationals in the city, with registration to be completed before Sep 15.

Hanoi

• On Sep 15, Hanoi announced it would allow the 19 low-risk districts without new Covid-19 community transmission cases since Sep 6 to reopen food and beverage establishments, repair shops and other businesses from Sep 16.
• Le Hong Son, deputy permanent chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee, said on Sep 16 that travel document requirements would be adjusted as the capital relaxes Covid19 restrictions. Specifically, people traveling within 19 low-risk districts that have now entered the “new normal” as dictated by the municipal Department of Health would not need to show travel documents while going out.

Khanh Hoa (Nha Trang)

• Nha Trang: The extensive vaccination against Covid-19 may deploy injections even in the evening to speed up the process of vaccine rollout, ensuring all teachers, including private nursery schools, fully vaccinated, reaching the goal of more than 200,000 residents having received the first dose by September 16.
• Huynh Van Dong, Director of Khanh Hoa Center for Disease Control said out of 902,000 adults aged 18 and over in Khanh Hoa, 431,300 have been given the first dose and 59,700 the second one so far. The provincial leader urged all localities to administer vaccines already allocated and CDC Khanh Hoa to ensure the schedule for their second dose.
• Residents are asked to adhere to Covid-19 prevention and control regulations, especially 5K guidance when leaving home. Although the pandemic is basically under control in the province, the risk of resurgence still remains. 
• Nha Trang City People’s Committee has issued a guidance about going shopping when the social distancing under the Prime Minister’s Directive 16/CT-TTg eases in the city. According to Mr. Luu Thanh Nhan, Vice-Chairman of Nha Trang City People’s Committee, residents in “green and yellow zones” in the city will be offered coupons for going shopping every 3 days in the morning or in the afternoon.