According to official figure in Jan-Apr 2010 Viet Nam exported 375,026MT of seafood worth US$1.274 billion, marking a rise of 22.1 percent in volume and 20.6 percent in value compared with the same period last year. The figure shows that the U.S., Japan and EU were three largest importers of Viet Nam’s seafood, together representing nearly 60 percent of the country’s total seafood export value, with high growth rate, respectively up 26.3 percent (US$215.860 million), 21.5 percent (US$227.129 million), and 17 percent (US$317.403 million) compared with the same period of 2009.
Being the largest destination of Vietnamese seafood EU has imported 106,192MT, worth US$317.403 million, year-on-year increase of 13 percent in volume and 17 percent in value. Experts said that the exports to the U.S. keep on increasing despite anti-dumping rates imposed on Viet Nam’s two staples – shrimp and Pangasius. Currently, Viet Nam is the largest Pangasius exporter among 12 countries exporting Pangasius and catfish to the U.S. market.
After Japan US has become the second largest importer of Vietnamese shrimp with growing demand. US ban on shrimp import from Mexico give advantage to Viet Nam’s shrimp exports to the nation.
