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angle-left ADVISORY: Philippine frozen seafood exports set to resume in Qatar following lifting of import ban

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) of Qatar announced the lifting of its temporary ban on the importation of frozen seafood from the Philippines. However, import restrictions on chilled seafood products from the Philippines remains to be in place. The decision comes after the necessary measures were said to be taken as a precautionary measure to ensure compliance of shipments.

Furthermore, MOPH has required the submission of a Certificate of Conformity issued by third party pre-shipment inspection at the country of origin before the products are shipped for export. The following are the authorized third-party pre-shipment inspectors with office addresses in the Philippines as published in the Qatar-MOPH Website

For an updated list of authorized third-party pre-shipment inspectors, exporters may regularly visit https://www.moph.gov.qa/english/derpartments/healthaffairs/foodsafety/Pages/Publications.aspx#page-3

The temporary ban was implemented in November as a precautionary measure to monitor the risk of contamination of fresh and frozen seafood products with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. Qatar has also lifted the temporary ban on imports from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The Export Marketing Bureau strongly advise Philippine exporters to continue strict compliance with food safety regulations to ensure the continued acceptance of their products in Qatar and other export markets.

For further questions and clarifications, you may contact the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) at fiqd@bfar.da.gov.ph or EMB Market Officers for Middle East and Africa at mid@dti.gov.ph.