19 August 2015, Tokyo – Philippine seafood exporters showed to the international market the quality and competitiveness of the Filipino tuna and other marine products at the 17th Japan International Seafood and Technology Expo.

Seven of the leading Philippine seafood processors and exporters composed the Philippine contingent to the 3-day international Expo held from 19 to 21 August 2015 at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center “Tokyo Big Sight East 5-6 Hall” where some 1,200 booths of various foreign and Japanese companies were installed for an expected admission of over 35,000 visitors of mainly foreign buyers and processors of marine products.

Deputy Chief of Mission Gilberto Asuque, Economic Officer Arnel Sanchez and Agriculture Attaché Dr. Samuel Animas (photo left) along with officials from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Agriculture (DA-BFAR) led the Embassy in welcoming the Philippine participants and in opening the Philippine booth.

The Philippine seafood exhibitors are the Bluefin Seafood Export, Inc. headed by Mr. Henry Tan Morales, Chief Executive Officer; D&L Seafoods headed by Ms. Mary Jane Alcazar, Production Manager; Nuevo Fresco Marine Trading Corp., under Ms. Krista Barbara Morota, Marketing Officer; PhilFresh Corporation, led by Ms. Jillian Karen Lu, CEO; President Marine Products Corp., headed by Mr. Jason Qua; Phil-Union Frozen Foods, Inc., under Mr. Ken Choi, President; and Superb Catch, Inc., led by Ms. Jennifer Tanpascual, Marketing Manager.

The Philippine booth displayed the product lines of the Filipino exporters such as fresh chilled tuna whole round/loins, fresh chilled tuna saku bars, super frozen tuna, ready-to-cook and ready to eat yellowfin tuna special or products in pouches and jars, mackerel and sardines in corn oil, tuna chicharon, abalone meat, block frozen black tiger shrimp, tempura shrimp, frozen lobsters, clam meat, crablets, Escolar steak, giant and regular-size squid, frozen octopus, scallops, cuttlefish, frozen and bottled milkfish (“bangus”), frozen tilapia, frozen roundscad, and eel. The Filipino exhibitors also had food tasting and samples of their ready-to-eat tuna in sushi and sashimi and other marine products.

In addition to the food exhibit, the Philippine seafood exporters with the assistance of Agriculture Attaché Animas and the DA-BFAR officials also promoted the Philippines as an investment site for processors of marine products by citing the country’s strategic location as a natural gateway to other Asia-Pacific economies, excellent investment climate, competent manpower, competitive labor cost and competitive industries with the presence of post-harvest facilities and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) compliant for EU and non-EU market requirements.

In support of this investment and traded promotion effort, DCM Asuque, Consul Sanchez and Dr. Animas (photo right) discussed with Mr. Richard Friend, Vice President of Sea Fresh KK and Mr. Jake Lu, Chairman Emeritus of the Citra Mina Group of Companies, supporters of the Philippine exhibitors, the options to further enhance the competitiveness of the Filipino seafood exporters in the Japanese market especially in terms of tariff concessions and wider access to the customers.

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