August 19, 2016

Vietnam seafood exports up 4% in H1

Vietnamese seafood exports totalled US$3.15 billion during the first half of the year, up 4% over the same period last year, thanks to the recovery in the demand for shrimp and pangasius, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said.

Of the total seafood exports during the six-month period, shrimp exports reached $1.35 billion, up 4.8% compared with the same period in 2015. Out of total export value of shrimp, whiteleg shrimp made up 59% ($794 million, up 5.2%), black tiger shrimp accounted for 33% ($445 million, up 5.3%), and marine shrimp 8% ($113 million, down 0.5% from the same period in 2015).

In the first six months, Vietnamese pangasius exports to 127 markets raked in a revenue of $790 million, up 5.4% from the same period last year. Exports to the US, China and Brazil accounted for nearly 50% of the total pangasius exports, a remarkable increase of 17.7%, 66.7% and 41%, respectively, over the same period last year.

In particular, Vietnamese pangasius exports to the US hit $187 million, taking up 24% of the total pangasius exports. A significant rise in exports to this market contributed to the rise in Vietnam's total pangasius exports, despite a year-on-year slump from 2% to 23% in exports to the EU, Asean and other markets.