June 5, 2012

Vietnam's January-April seafood imports up 48.9%

In January-April 2012, Vietnam's seafood imports amounted to US$211.29 million, soaring 48.9% from the same period last year, said the General Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance.

About 80% of the imported volume was used as input materials for processing plants, said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers. Lack of domestic supply for local seafood processing industry is attributed to the increase of seafood imports.

The Vietnamese aquaculture has been affected by diseases while the fishing of tuna, octopus and cuttle-fish were at low level, the association explained. In 2011, Vietnam imported seafood worth US$554 million while the country earned US$6.323 billion from seafood exports, up 64.5% and 21.7% on year, respectively.