Two more enterprises approved for catfish exports to US

The Food Safety Inspection Service of the US Department Agriculture has added two more Vietnamese enterprises to the list of Siluriformes catfish exporters to the country.

According to the National Agro-Forestry and Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department Agriculture (USDA) has added two more Vietnamese enterprises to the list of Siluriformes catfish exporters to the country.

Vietnam now has nearly 60 enterprises permitted to export Siluriformes catfish to the country.

The two are the Hua Heong Food Industries Vietnam Co., Ltd (Code: 175) and the Cuu Long Fish Import-Export Corporation (Code: 714).

To avoid obstacles in shipping pangasius catfish to the US, NAFIQAD has also asked the two enterprises to check consignments to ensure their products meet all FSIS requirements.

It also requires enterprises to register with NAFIQUAD's Branch 4 for inspecting and granting certificates for consignments to the US.

The FSIS and USDA recently gave approval to 12 more Vietnamese enterprises to export Siluriformes catfish to the US. As at June there were 57 Vietnamese enterprises approved.

FSIS recently sent a document to NAFIQAD on regulations relating to Siluriformes catfish exports to the US.

Specifically, during the transition time, FSIS will only accept the addition of Vietnamese enterprises to the list of Siluriformes fish processing companies allowed to export to the US if they have previously exported Siluriformes to the country.

For traders who have never exported to the US, the FSIS will only consider their addition to the list upon completion of assessments under Vietnam’s food safety control system for Siluriformes catfish.

Therefore, NAFIQAD has asked traders who have never exported Siluriformes fish to the US to suspend registration efforts.

NAFIQAD also sent a request to FSIS for the non-application of the abovementioned regulations.

Only final processing companies must have their names on FSIS’s list. Initial processing companies will be examined by NAFIQAD for food safety certificates. While waiting for an official reply from the FSIS, NAFIQAD requests Siluriformes fish processing and exporting companies to only buy semi-products of Siluriformes fish from the companies on the FSIS list and published on its website.

With regard to labeling Siluriformes fish products exported to the US, codes of final processing companies, before exporting, must be noted in the letter of guarantee and on packaging.