A new level of chemical residue permitted in crustaceans has been announced by Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry on its website under which the maximum level of Ethoxyquin is 0.2 ppm, a 20-fold rise compared to the previous level of 0.01 ppm.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), this means Vietnam will have a higher chance to increase their shrimp exports to Japan’s market.

Last year, the application of the barrier on the acceptable level of Ethoxyquin content caused great losses to Vietnamese exporters. Since 2006, Japan has continuously applied several regulations to control the residues of some chemical substances in seafood products.