December 26, 2012

During January-November 2012, Vietnam's shrimp export value dropped by 4.8% on-year.

This is according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

When looking at Vietnam's 10 main shrimp export markets, exports fell by 16.1% to the US, by 25.2% to the EU and by 13.8% to Canada. Further, value fell by 13.8% in Switzerland and by 21.5% in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market.

For 2013, it is anticipated that the shrimp industry will keep navigating obstacles including disease outbreaks, a shrimp fry shortage and a lack of bank loans. During the first nine months of this year, the US imported 381,425 tonnes of shrimp from Vietnam, down 5.7% against the same period in 2011, said the US National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS).

As far as lower exports to Japan, the country has in recent months implemented a limit on ethoxyquin residues in seafood of 0.01ppm, which has led to many rejected shipments and therefore to a dip in exports. Most countries use a maximum residue limit of 77-150ppm when deciding whether to accept a shipment of imported seafood, Vietnam News reports.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is thus asking the government of Japan to reconsider the maximum residue level of ethoxyquin. In October, Vietnam's shrimp industry made US$232.1 million from exports, down 11.6% from October 2011. Japan was the leading importer and accounted for 29.1% with US$29.1 million, but shipments to this market decreased by 15.8% from October 2011.

Sales to the US, representing 21.6% of the market, fell by 2.9% to US$50.2 million, while sales to the EU, representing 13.2% of the market, fell by 34.2% to US$30.4 million.

Vietnamese shrimp exports to China and Hong Kong reached US$28.4 million in October 2012, up 29% and accounting for 12.2% of the market. The biggest drop in imports was by ASEAN countries, whose purchases fell by 46.9% to US$3.3 million, making up 1.4% of the market.