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On November 26, 2020, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock enacted the Fisheries and Fisheries (Inspection and Quality Control) Act 2020 to enforce new laws reflecting the repealed provision of the Fish and Fish Products (Inspection and Quality Control) Ordinance 1983.

On November 14, 2018, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock enacted the Fish Quarantine Act 2018 which issues provisions regarding pathogens and quarantine of fish and fish products. The Act covers the fish quarantine authority; import permits, controls, restrictions, bans, and detentions; and fish pathogen restrictions and elimination.

Bulgarian fish and seafood importers are seeking to expand the variety of locally available fish, particularly among the mid and high-value categories. According to the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute (NSI), which measures trade data based on country of origin, and therefore captures U.S. trade routed through other European ports of entry, Bulgaria imported $166,000 of U.S. fish and seafood in 2021, up 29 percent from the difficult 2020, but significantly lower than the pre-COVID levels of $554,656 in 2019.

The fisheries sector contributes to 3.2 percent to Senegal’s gross domestic product (GDP), accounts for 10.2 percent of Senegal exports, and generated $400 million in value in 2021. There is a growing demand for high quality fish and seafood products because overfishing and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing have led to depleted fish stocks, creating market access opportunities for U.S. seafood exporters.

Japan will require importers of U.S. products containing mackerel, Pacific saury, sardine, squid and cuttlefish to submit a newly approved Catch Certificate issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The requirement extends to all seafood originating from these species if the marine product is harvested after November 30, 2022.

In 2021, U.S. seafood exports to Hong Kong recovered 31 percent year-on-year to $180 million, and taking over a significant share in niche market segments such as lobsters, eels, oysters, and other frozen mollusks products. Hong Kong has a vast seafood market with an import value of $4 billion in 2021, recovering 20 percent despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

On October 27, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a new order pertaining to FSSAI Order F. No. 1829/Health Certificate/ FSSAI/Imports (2021), which extends the effective compliance date. The new effective compliance date is now set for January 1, 2023 (the previous effective compliance date was November 1, 2022).

On September 26, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a clarification notice to its earlier notification F. No. 1829/Health Certificate/FSSAI/Imports (2021). The FSSAI clarification notice is in response to World Trade Organization (WTO) members having commented on the FSSAI Order of August 8, 2022, referencing the earlier FSSAI Notification No. 1829/Health Certificate/FSSAI/Imports (2021), that specify the requirements for health certificates and their format for milk and milk products, pork and pork products, and fish and fish products.

There are new export opportunities for oysters grown in Massachusetts and Washington since the EU lifted its import ban on live, chilled, frozen, and processed bivalve mollusks from the United States. As part of the equivalency arrangement between the EU and the United States, the U.S. market will now also be open for Dutch oysters, creating a win-win.

Korean seafood imports totaled $5.74 billion in 2021, up 9 percent from 2020, with imports from the United States increasing slightly to $217 million. The United States remains the fifth largest seafood exporter to Korea with a 3.8 percent market share.

In the summer of 2022, ATO Beijing Director Lashonda McLeod Harper, together with Chef Andrea Susto and Chef Rain Xing from Michelin star restaurant, Opera Bombana, created cooking videos that combined Chinese and Western cuisine featuring U.S. food and wine. The demonstration videos were launched during China’s Dragon Boat Festival and were an instant social media hit, receiving well over 1.1 million views.

On August 3, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued notification F. No. 1829/Health Certificate/FSSAI/Imports (2021). The FSSAI notification, effective November 1, 2022, requires...