June 11, 2010

Vietnam's tra, basa fish penetrate Mexican market

Vietnam's tra and basa fish are becoming increasingly popular in Mexico, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP).

The country's turnover from tra and basa exports to Mexico continues to rise, earning US$9.9 million in 2004, US$17.55 million in 2005, US$32.95 million in 2006 and over US$55.64 million in 2008, the association said.

Even though Vietnam's aquatic products were only sold by the supermarket chain Wal-Mart before 2006, they are now available in almost every large supermarket, known as Costco, Chedraui, Superama and Soriana in Mexico.

Last year, Vietnam became the largest tra and basa fish exporter to the Central American country, with an export value amounting to nearly US$59 million.

According to VASEP, these encouraging outcomes can be attributed to the efforts Vietnamese seafood businesses have been making, including attending many seafood fairs in Mexico in recent years.

Meanwhile, Vietnam's seafood industry is expected to export more than 500,000 tonnes of tra catfish and 200,000 tonnes of shrimp aiming to reach export value of US$4.5 billion for 2010.

Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said in the first four months, domestic seafood exports reached US$1.27 billion, an increase of 20.1% against on-year.

Frozen shrimp exports reached the highest value of more than US$426 million, an increase of 29.5% compared with the same period last year. Tra and basa catfish exports ranked second with an increase of 12.3%.