As per the preliminary statistics of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam has exported 190,490MT of shrimp for a value of more than US$1.518 billion, including more than 50,000MT of whiteleg shrimp, worth more than US$300 million. It is found that the shrimp was Viet Nam’s only seafood export product that gained significant growth in both volume and value over the first 11 months of last year.
It is fact that Japan has been the largest importer of Vietnamese whiteleg shrimp, which made up 18 percent of its total shrimp import volume; meanwhile, in the U.S., the world’s largest whiteleg shrimp importers, the share of whiteleg shrimp accounted for up to 28 percent. Truong Dinh Hoe, VASEP General Secretary, said that in 2010, black tiger shrimp remained the country’s export staple, however, whiteleg shrimp export might increase significantly due to low price.
Hoe predicted the export volume of whiteleg shrimp in 2010 will triple against 2009, up to 190,000MT, export value will double, up to around US$500-600 million, accounting for one third of the country’s total shrimp export value. He also said that the expanded area of whiteleg shrimp farming will create a stable supply of raw material for export processing.
