Vietnam’s seafood export value was the highest ever recorded in November, with sales to most of the country’s major markets increasing.
According to latest customs data, Vietnam exported seafood worth USD 911 million (EUR 807.3 million) in November, 23 percent higher year-on-year. Sales to the U.S. reached USD 197.7 million (EUR 175.2 million), surging 36.5 percent from a year earlier. Sales to Japan rose 134 percent year-over-year to USD 136.4 million (EUR 121 million) and sales to China reached USD 120.4 million (EUR 106.7 million), growing 5.5 percent year-on-year.
Vietnam’s seafood export value in between January and November 2021 was USD 7.99 billion (EUR 7.1 billion), up 4 percent year-on-year, with a 25.4 percent gain in sales to the U.S., at USD 1.87 billion (EUR 1.66 billion); sales to the E.U. at USD 1.25 billion (EUR 1.11 billion), 4.8 percent higher year-on-year; sales to Japan dropping to USD 1.21 billion (EUR 1 billion), down 7.1 percent; and sales to China falling to USD 863 million (EUR 764.6 million), down 21.6 percent from the previous year.
Vietnam’s sales to China have dropped significantly since April 2021 due to increased testing of frozen seafood cargoes for COVID-19 by Chinese authorities. The heightened inspections have resulted in the delays of clearance for shipments, adding further costs for both Vietnamese exporters and Chinese importers, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers.
The difficulties in sending seafood products to China continued in December, as China only allowed a small number of container trucks to pass their land border gates with Vietnam each day. About 4,600 Vietnamese container trucks carrying agriculture products, including more than 700 container trucks of frozen seafood, were piling up at the Vietnamese land border areas for days waiting for clearance from Chinese authorities, Vietnamese media reported 20 December.
Photo courtesy of VASEP
