Islamabad: Pakistan and Vietnam have agreed to deepen their partnership in the Halal seafood sector, marking a significant step forward in strengthening economic ties between the two nations.
A high-level meeting was convened to advance this collaboration, bringing together Vietnam’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Pham Anh Tuan, senior representatives from the Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association, importers of Pangasius fish, and Dr. Mansoor Ali Wassan, Director General of the Marine Fisheries Department (MFD).
During the discussions, Dr. Wassan shared that Pakistan’s seafood exports to Vietnam climbed to 9 million US dollars in 2024, reflecting a 20 percent growth over the previous year. He underscored the country’s expanding aquaculture capabilities and progress in Halal-certified fish processing.
Dr. Wassan observed that with consistent policy alignment, trade facilitation, and improvements in cold chain infrastructure and Halal certification, Pakistan could potentially equal or surpass Vietnam’s seafood shipments to the Pakistani market. He suggested setting an annual export goal of 25 to 30 million dollars within the next five years, describing it as both feasible and strategically beneficial for diversifying Pakistan’s marine exports.
Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan stressed the need for stronger coordination between stakeholders from both countries, emphasizing regulatory alignment and technical collaboration. He reiterated Vietnam’s commitment to complying with Halal standards for seafood exports destined for Pakistan and expressed support for closer institutional cooperation.
Dr. Wassan also highlighted Pakistan’s intent to enhance bilateral engagement to further develop its fisheries and aquaculture sectors, pointing to Vietnam’s success in aquaculture as an example worth emulating.
Asim Abrar, Executive Committee Member of the Pakistan Fisheries Exporters Association, noted that while Pakistan has been exporting raw seafood for over forty years, the country is now progressing into value-added areas such as shrimp farming, inspired by Vietnam’s achievements in the field.
