New rules require fish and fishery processors to eCertify

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued new rules that require processors of fish and fishery products to develop and implement e-certification systems for their operations.

The Ministry last year published guidelines on its website to assist processors in the development of their e-certification plans and to provide information to help them obtain the necessary permits authorizing them to export product to foreign markets.

The guide was developed by the National Agri-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department of the Ministry to provide ample time for processors to comply with the pending requirements for exporting to foreign markets.

These guidelines are generally referred to by the Department as the National Single Window system.

This system is expected to accelerate the pace of customs clearance, thereby improving trade effectiveness and competitiveness with foreign countries and within free trade regions such as ASEAN.

Vietnam and other ASEAN members have all agreed to each work out a national single window system customs clearance mechanism to achieve an ASEAN Single Window system to enhance regional trade.

These single window systems allow fish and fishery processors to declare information and documents in standardized form one-time only at a single location to complete and comply with all legal requirements concerning import, export and transit of product.

In the rules just released, the Department is requiring fish and fishery producers to contact one of their local offices to obtain assistance in applying for and obtaining e-certification for exports through the National Single Window system.

Effective as of March 1, the Republic of Korea will require all fish and fishery exporters to have complied with the National Single Window system e-certification rules and regulations pursuant to its free trade agreement with Vietnam and ASEAN.

A similar situation exists with China and all exports to that market beginning March 1 will require the Vietnamese exporter to have complied with the requirements of the National Single Window system.

Accordingly, effective March 15, the Department will stop providing assistance to any Vietnamese processor experiencing problems with exports to the ROK or China that has failed to properly register and comply with the law and related regulations for e-certification.

In addition, the Department put all fish and fishery producers on notice that shipments of product to the EU will also soon be subject to e-certification and the National Single Window system requirements.

The Department said it will issue further guidance for complying with the EU requirements later.