November 9, 2015

 

Germany now prefers whiteleg shrimp to black tiger

 

 

Shrimp preference in Germany has shifted from black tiger to the whiteleg variety, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep). Germany was the top importer in the EU of Vietnamese shrimps from 2011 to 2014.

 

Vasep said that of Vietnam's total shrimp export to Germany in 2011, whiteleg shrimp represented just 35.7% while black tiger shrimp constituted 56.3%.

 

By 2012, the proportion of whiteleg shrimp increased to 46.6% while that of black tiger shrimp decreased to 45.5%. In 2013, whiteleg shrimp accounted for 53.4% and black tiger shrimp was down to 40%.

 

Last year, whiteleg shrimp sales to Germany made up 58% and black tiger shrimp sales 34.7%.

 

In the first three quarters of this year, the proportion of whiteleg shrimp was increased further to 73.5% while that of black tiger shrimp was down to just 19.9%. "This trend showed that whiteleg shrimp is increasingly favoured in Germany", Vasep said in a news release posted on its website.

 

Overtaken

 

From 2011 to 2014, Germany was the top importer in the 28-member European bloc of Vietnamese shrimps, but this year it was overtaken by the UK.

 

In the first quarter this year, Germany was still the leading importer of shrimp from Vietnam with import value of US$28.4 million, up 4.2% year on year. In the second and third quarters, however, Germany slipped to just being the second-largest, overtaken by the UK due to its economic turbulence and euro's devaluation, affecting shrimp demand.

 

Last year, Vietnam's shrimp exports to Germany made up 20.5% of Vietnam's total shrimp exports to the EU. In January-September this year, Vietnam shrimp sales to Germany reached US$84.4 million, down 16.5% year on year.