Vietnam saw its sales of crab surge significantly in the first nine months of this year due mainly to high demand from China, according to latest data from Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
The country exported crab worth USD 126.9 million (EUR 107.4 million) during the period spanning January to September, up 26 percent from the same period in 2019. While sales to China – its biggest market – soared 365 percent year-on-year, the value of the exports to Japan and the United States declined 5 percent and 26 percent, respectively.
Apart from crab, Vietnam also shipped USD 1.2 billion (EUR 1 billion) in value of sea fish (excluding tuna and pangasius) in the period, 21 percent higher year-on-year, with Japan, ASEAN and China being the major destinations.
However, Vietnam’s export value of fish paste and surimi fell more than 6 percent year-on-year to USD 228.7 million (EUR 193.5 million) in the first nine months. Sales to China went up 25 percent year-on-year while the shipments to ASEAN and Japan shrank 6 percent and 22 percent in value compared to a year ago, VASEP said.
Exports of seafood from Vietnam showed mixed trends this year, with shrimp sales on the rise while pangasius and tuna tumbling.
Between January and September, Vietnam exported seafood worth more than USD 6 billion (EUR 5 billion), down 3 percent from last year. The U.S. was the largest buyer of seafood from Vietnam in terms of value with sales of USD 1.17 billion (EUR 990 million), up 8.3 percent year-on-year. The other main destinations included Japan, with USD 1.03 billion (EUR 871.6 million), down 2.8 percent; China, with USD 837.5 million (EUR 708.7 million), up 0.1 percent; South Korea, with USD 558.4 million (EUR 472.5 million), 1.2 percent lower year-on-year; and the United Kingdom, with USD 258 million (EUR 218.3 million), an increase of 2.9 percent from a year earlier; according to customs data.
VASEP’s General Secretary Truong Dinh Hoe told local media last week the country is expected to earn a seafood export value of USD 8.4 billion (EUR 7.1 billion) this year, down 2.3 percent from 2019 thanks to the uptick in exports recently, especially the higher shrimp sales.
Photo courtesy of Huy Thoai/Shutterstock
