November 8, 2007

Vietnam's seafood exports to Japan drop 6.6 percent

Vietnamese seafood exports to Japan from January to September saw a drop in revenues by 6.6 percent due to a series of hygiene standard violations, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said.

Between January and September, Vietnam exported 4.117 million tonnes of seafood products to Japan valued at US$525.626 million, down 6.6 percent on year in volume and 12.2 percent in value.

This year, Japan has already discovered nearly 100 batches of Vietnamese seafood products, or nearly 2 percent, of total seafood volume shipped to Japan containing antibiotic residues.

Japan has issued a warning will likely ban Vietnamese seafood if the country doesn't settle its antibiotic problems.

Japan still ranked the second biggest buyer of Vietnamese frozen seafood with values of US$338.301 million in the period. Vietfoods Co., Ltd is leading shrimp exporter to Japan, VASEP said.

The country was also the biggest importer of Vietnamese cephalopod and tuna. In the first 9 months, Vietnam exported at 14,596 tonnes of cephalopod valued at US$75.52 million, up 19 percent, with Havico taking lead and Hai Thanh Food Co., Ltd ranking second.

Japan also ranked third -- after EU and US of various Vietnamese fish species worth US$58.311 million, up 24 percent over the same period last year. Tuna export to Japan reached 4,286 tonnes worth US$13.677 million, up 45 percent in volume and 36 percent in value.