Vietnam’s 1.37 billion medical masks exported in 2020

Monday, 18/01/2021 16:33
Over 1.37 billion medical face masks of various types were exported throughout 2020, the Vietnam News Agency quoted a statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
Photo for illustration (Source: VGP)

December alone witnessed over 30 major local businesses ship medical face masks overseas, with the total export volume reaching approximately 71 million units, representing a sharp decline of 59 percent compared to figures from November.

The volume of export activities returned to normal after May 2020, following a resolution implemented by the Government regarding licensing for the export of medical face masks, with items granted permission to be exported without facing any caps on export quantity.

After these changes came into effect, the country exported more than 181 million and 236 million medical masks in May and June, respectively. Despite this, the export volume of medical masks in July and August endured a downward trajectory caused by a second wave of COVID-19 cases in the nation.

Hanoi’s first metro train to go on public display in February

The metro train for the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station route will be displayed at the S1 station, opposite to Hanoi University of Industry in the middle of February after Tet holidays, the Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper reported.

Photo for illustration (Source: VOV)

 

According to the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MBR), currently, the done work volume of the project reaches 67.5 percent. The elevated section of 8.5 kilometers has been completed while the remaining four kilometer section underground has got a completion rate of more than 23 percent.

The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro project has a total length of 12.5 kilometers, running from Nhon area to Hanoi Railway Station. The metro line is expected to be put into operation at the end of 2021.

The first train for the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station route arrived in Dinh Vu Port in Hai Phong City from France on October 17, 10 days earlier than expected. It is among 10 trains being produced in France for the project. Each train with a total length of 80 meters includes four wagons and has a capacity of 944 passengers. It consists of two primary colors of green and rose red, and is capable of reaching a max speed of 80 km/h.

The second train is expected to arrive in Vietnam in January 2021.

Fishery sector carries out electronic traceability

The Directorate of Fisheries is implementing software and piloting the electronic traceability for seafood products to meet State management and market requirements, said the Vietnam News Agency.

Photo for illustration (Source: thoibaonganhang.vn)

Nguyen Quang Hung, deputy director of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said the directorate has been using paper-based records of traceability for catching fishery products on the sea.

However, that has taken time and not ensured the accuracy during filling information for the traceability, including region and volume of catching fish, he said.

Fishermen have also complained that in the bad weather, they have had difficulties in completing the documents. In addition, record keeping is also not convenient.

To solve this problem, the Directorate of Fisheries is developing electronic traceability software and will pilot it in a number of localities such as Vung Tau, Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen.

The traceability software is expected to apply to fishing activities nationwide over the next three years, the Nong thon Ngay nay (Countryside Today) newspaper reported.

The electronic fishing dairy and the traceability software will improve the accuracy and convenience in completing information about traceability for seafood products and managing that information, Hung said.

The directorate will also train fishermen, fishing port management systems and fisheries sub-departments in 28 provinces to use that software.

He said the traceability of fishery products is now compulsory according to the needs of the market. It is also one of the mandatory requirements to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) of the European Union.

Domestic consumers also need transparency in traceability of seafood products from the supply to stages of processing and consumption.

Vietnam has carried out the traceability of seafood products since the Law on Fisheries 2003 was introduced with the requirement that records must be kept in diaries to serve the traceability of products.

The fishery sector has had 57 fishing ports eligible to grant certification on traceability of seafood products. They have asked fishermen to keep a diary while at sea and vessels purchasing fish to have reports from fishing vessels. Arriving at the port, the port management agencies would confirm origin of the seafood products. Then, the Fisheries Sub-Department will certify origin before exporting or selling to the market, Hung said./.

Compiled by BTA

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