Seafood Exports to Japan Drop 6.6 per cent in Jan-September

Vietnamese seafood exporters to Japan saw their exports revenues drop 6.6 per cent on year in the first nine months of this year due to the foreign country found a series of hygiene standard violations, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep) warned.

 

Between January and September, Vietnam exported 4.117 million metric tons (MT) of seafood products to Japan valued at US$525.626 million, down 6.6 per cent on year in volume and 12.2 per cent in value.

 

So far this year, Japan has discovered nearly 100 batches of Vietnamese seafood products, or nearly 2 per cent, of total seafood volume shipped to Japan containing antibiotic residues.

 

The foreign country has warned that it will likely apply a ban on Vietnamese seafood imported from Vietnam if the issue is not timely settled.

 

However, Japan still ranked the second in terms of frozen imported from Vietnam with values of US$338.301 million in the period. Vietfoods Co., Ltd is leading shrimp exporter to Japan, the Vasep said.

 

The country was also the biggest importer of Vietnamese cephalopod and tuna. In the first 9 months, Vietnam’s cephalopod export to this market reached 14,596 MT valued at US$75.52 million, up 19 per cent, with Havico taking lead and Hai Thanh Food Co., Ltd ranking second.

 

Japan was leading importer of various Vietnamese fish species worth US$58.311 million, up 24 per cent over the same period last year. Tuna export to Japan reached 4,286 MT worth US$13.677 million, up 45 per cent in volume and 36 per cent in value, ranking the third after EU and US. (www.vasep.com.vn))