Swiss firms eye catfish market
AN GIANG — Several large Swiss businesses that visited Viet Nam recently said they wanted to set up deals to buy Vietnamese catfish.
Six Swiss firms - Eurogroup, Co-op, Sippo, Binca, Seafood and Marioult - expressed interest in establishing trade ties and praised the farmers for their technological methods.
The An Giang Fisheries Import and Export Joint Stock Company (Agifish) in the Cuu Long River Delta provided the Swiss group with information on tra and ba sa fish and other aquatic products raised in the province.
An Agifish official said the visit came at a propitious time since fisheries were looking at other markets after the US accused Viet Nam of dumping catfish on the US market.
After losing a lawsuit in June filed by the US, Viet Nam became subject to US tariffs of between 37 to 64 per cent.
The loss was a serious setback for the catfish industry, and led to difficulties for tens of thousands of farmers in the Delta, particularly in An Giang Province.
Experts from the Ministry of Fisheries said the development of new markets would help fishermen from becoming too reliant on the US market, which now accounts for less than 50 per cent of catfish exports. —VNS
