In a letter to its territorial departments in Astana, Almaty, and Shimkent, Kazakhstan's Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision stated on August 7 that "special measures" are being introduced against 10 named Norwegian companies that produce salmon and trout products in the national register of approved Norwegian companies.
In addition to the Committee stating that inspections of "food safety indicators for any imported batch" from the companies will be carried out, no information is provided about the reasons for the measures, how long they might last, or how long the investigations will take before imported batches are released.
Since the Seafood Council received information about the introduction of the measures on August 9, we have tried to identify the causes of the situation. As of today, no information has emerged indicating the reasons for the measures. What we have been informed by Kazakh importers is that inspections are expected to take between 4 and 7 days before imported batches are released. This is problematic, especially for those working with fresh fish, but it also creates uncertainty for those working with frozen products. As of today, no special measures have been introduced against other Norwegian companies exporting to Kazakhstan.
The Seafood Council will continue to work on identifying the situation, including clarifying the reasons why the 10 companies that have already been subjected to special measures ended up there in the first place. As we understand it, the Food Safety Authority has not received any official explanation from Kazakhstan to date, either about the introduction of the measure or the background for it. The Seafood Council will continue to monitor this situation closely and keep in contact with the Food Safety Authority, Norwegian exporters, and Kazakh importers until we have clarified what the real situation is here.
As of today, Norwegian companies in salmon and trout, preferably the 10 listed affected parties, are recommended to have good dialogue with their customers in Kazakhstan. The freezing and cooling facilities at veterinary control stations in Kazakhstan have very different qualities, so exports that fall under special measures must be perceived as unpredictable and unsafe.
For questions or input on the matter, Christen Mordal can be contacted, see contact information below.
Contact:
Christen Mordal, Market Access Analyst
cm@seafood.no
