EU Emerges Vietnam's Biggest Seafood Importer in 2007

The European Union has surpassed Japan and the U.S. to become the biggest importer of Vietnamese seafood in 2007, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (Vasep) said.

 

Between January and October, the bloc imported 230,900 tons of seafood worth US$750 million from Vietnam, accounting for 24.4 per cent of Vietnam’s total seafood export revenues and representing on year rises of 26.7 per cent in terms of volume and 25.4 per cent in value.

 

Among its members, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Italia and Poland are taking lead with export growth of more than 30 per cent.

 

Pangasius, shrimp and cephalopod are main exported products to EU.

 

In 2007, Vietnam pangasius exports to EU increase sharply and it currently takes 48.8 per cent of the total pangasius exports from Vietnam.

 

From January to October, Vietnam exported 114,213 tons of pangasius valued at more than US$ 395 million to EU. These figures showed on year rises of 43.3 per cent in volume and 41.5 per cent in value.

 

Exports to Spain, Poland and Netherlands made up nearly 60 per cent the total of pangasius to EU. The export growth to three leading markets is at 40 per cent in October.

 

Main factors which contribute to the success of Vietnam in exporting pangasius in 2007 are reasonable price, EUR appreciation and highly increasing demand. (Vasep)