Mexican fishing products will obtain easier access to the Japanese market after the recent signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), reported Mexico’s National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries (CONAPESCA).
During the II Meeting of the CONAPESCA Technical Council, commissioner Ramon Corral Avila, indicated that the EPA would also enable diversification of products shipped to the Asian country given the Japanese population’s high consumption. He also explained that the main Mexican seafood exports to Japan consist of bluefin and yellowfin tuna, sardine, sea urchin, shrimp, fishmeal, and mackerel.
Immediate tax exemption would be extended to yellowfin tuna, oyster, lobster, octopus, shrimp and prawn, among others, said Mr. Corral. He added that the agreement also establishes an annual six-step tax relief for sea urchin and a 20 percent tax preference on the tariffs applicable to sardine and squid. “Fishery products included in the Agreement will be duty free within 6 years latestâ€, he said.
â€During the meeting’s negotiations, bluefin tuna was continuously regarded as a product of great commercial value for Mexico, while actually, bluefin tuna is also highly important for Japans domestic fleet, reason why it was not included in the agreement. Nevertheless, Japan only imposes a 3% duty tariff on this species. Therefore the product continues to enter the Japanese market without major problemsâ€, explained Mr. Corral.