Vietnam shrimp export may rake in US$1.9 billion this year

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the country's shrimp exports may earn US$1.9 billion this year.

VASEP's general secretary Truong Dinh Hoe said that the total will include US$1.4 billion from prawn shrimp, and US$500 million from white-legged shrimp (vannamei) with a volume of 150,000 tonnes.

In 2009, Vietnam exported 50,000 tons of vannamei shrimp valued at US$30 million. The association said that Japan, the biggest buyer of Vietnamese shrimp, will likely apply 0% tax.

Meanwhile, in the Mekong Delta region, Ca Mau's seafood export turnover reached US$720 million in 2009, a year-on-year increase of 17%, according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

A total of 390,000 tonnes of seafood were exported in 2009, 19.6% more than in 2008. Frozen shrimp exports alone were worth US$600 million in 2009.