China scraps Covid bans on Vietnamese seafood

By Thi Ha July 20, 2022 | 09:40 pm PT

Fishermen examine the fish they caught in central Quang Tri Province. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Tao

Chinese authorities will no longer penalize Vietnamese seafood exporters with a temporary ban if their containers are found contaminated with Covid-19, that country's embassy in Hanoi has said.

Exporters used to face a seven-day ban for every container of theirs found contaminated with the coronavirus.

A seafood exporter who was once banned for three weeks said shipments have returned to normal.

"China is trying to reduce the damage caused by its zero Covid strategy, and so exporting to the country has now become easier."

Dozens of Vietnamese exporters suffered from the ban, some for weeks and even months due to the large number of containers infected.

Vietnam exported US$427.6 million worth of seafood to China in the first six months, up 107 percent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

VASEP expects exports to China to boom in the second half of this year following the easing of the draconian safety measures.