The Philippine tuna industry's fresh-frozen sector is working closely with the National Government to convince the European Union (EU) to adopt a more liberal screening process that would allow the unrestricted entry of local fresh-frozen tuna products into the region.
Although the US and Japan remain the biggest importers of fresh-frozen tuna products, posting market shares of 56 percent and 30 percent, respectively, the large but still untapped EU market is at 3rd place, with a market share of six percent.
According to industry data, Philippine fresh-frozen exports to the US grew at an average 12 percent per year in the last 3 years, peaking at US $16.3 million in 2004.
Annual tuna exports to Japan have been low at US $7-8 million for the past three years.
However, exports to the EU showed substantial growth in 2003 and 2004, but they have dramatically dropped his year due to the problems encountered by local exporters.
This is why a concerted effort is being made to address both an EU-imposed ban as well as the EU's lack of fixed quality standards for fresh frozen imports, which have hurt the competitiveness of the local fresh frozen tuna sector in Europe.
Industry experts stressed that instead of bemoaning restrictive EU trade policies, the local fresh frozen sector, with the support of the national government should pursue a cohesive strategy to effectively address these trade barriers.
â€The local fresh-frozen tuna sector, supported by the national government, can cooperate with EU member-countries in setting fixed standards for products, processes, sanitation, and plant structural requirements,†explained Ebenezer Bustamante, manager of Citramina Seafood Corporation, one of the industry's leading companies.
Bustamante said producer countries that pursued this “cooperative route†for accessing the EU market are now reaping the fruits of their labor.
â€European buyers of fresh frozen tuna revealed that their respective governments are urging them to import more tuna products from countries such as Thailand and Vietnam. Therefore, to remain competitive, the Philippines must follow the lead of these countries,†Bustamante said.
â€In working for the lifting of the ban against local smoked tuna, excellent trade relations between the Philippines and EU governments must be maintained,†Bustamante added.
Bustamante pointed out that local smoked tuna processors could also draw insights from the sector's positive experience with the US market, which is the world’s biggest importer of fresh frozen tuna products such as smoked tuna loins and steaks.
â€The US government resolved the smoked tuna issue by focusing on the screening of tuna products for histamine levels and decomposition. Today, the US continues to import Philippine frozen smoked tuna as a safe product because it uses fixed quality standards and appropriate screening methods,†Bustamante said.
Bustamante stressed that the Philippine government should assist the local fresh-frozen tuna sector in convincing EU governments to adopt similar screening processes.