Tuesday, March 06, 2007 EU accreditation seen to hike tuna exports by 25%
TUNA exports to the European Union (EU) are projected to increase by as much as 25 percent once accreditation is given to the local tuna industry here, an official said.
This developed as Sani Macabalang, regional director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, clarified that the EU has not yet granted its approval to the tuna industry here contrary to local reports that the city already passed the inspection conducted last year by EU health and sanitary inspectors.
"There's still no official communication from the EU that we have hurdle their inspection. We are still waiting for the en banc decision of the union," Macabalang said.
Still, Macabalang expressed optimism the local tuna industry will be accredited, saying "the industry has not been plagued by problems that may lead the EU to give a failing mark to tuna products coming from this city dubbed as the undisputed Tuna Capital of the Philippines."
He said they have been expecting the decision to come out as early as last December, adding they have no idea when the European Union would really announce results of the assessment.
Nevertheless, the official voiced out hopes that the 27-member EU will increase the country's tuna export quota once the industry is granted accreditation.
This is on top of his projection that tuna exports to the EU will rise by 25 percent given an accreditation.
In 2003, the EU reduced tariff rate for canned tuna products from 24 percent to 12 percent annually for five years.
The 12 percent, however, involves only 25,000 metric tons.
Further, it was divided at 9,000 metric tons for the Philippines, 13,000 metric tons to Thailand, 2,750 tons to Indonesia and the rest to other countries. Should the Philippines exports beyond that, the excess volume would be slapped with the regular tariff of 24 percent.
The preferential tariff of 12% was reached when the EU was still composed of 15 countries.
Now that the union has grown to 27-member states, tuna industry players have been pressing for bigger quota allocation at 12 percent tariff, despite reports that Europe has turned down the request.
But even without bigger allocation at the 12 percent duty level, industry players are expecting trading of tuna products to Europe granting the local tuna industry will get an accreditation.
Marfenio Tan, president of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., earlier expressed confidence in passing the inspection of the EU.
Tan said the tuna players have embarked on fish quality enhancement initiatives such as the conduct of trainings on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, Good Manufacturing Practices and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure ahead of the European inspectors' arrival.
"As a result of these initiatives, fish handling, sanitation, unloading system and related practices at the fish port complex have further improved," Tan said.
