Japan Tops among Vietnamese Seafood Importers
Structure of Vietnamese seafood importers has been changed with Japan being the largest independent buyer as domestic processors have been switching from the problematic United States market, according to the Ministry of Fisheries (MoF).
MoF figures show the change with exports to Japan accounting for 23 per cent of the country’s total outbound shipment in the first six months of the year. Exports to the European Union ranked second with 23.2 per cent and the US 18 per cent.
Russia has also become the major buyer of basa and tra – the catfish that sparked heavy duties in the US after it was allegedly dumped by the processors – at 15.6 per cent of the total.
Some 12 per cent of Vietnamese tra and basa catfish shipments went to the Polish market while those to the US made up for just 4.6 per cent in the period.
"We plan to maintain major traditional markets such as the US, the European Union and South Korea while marketing and expanding into new places like China and non European countries," said the ministry’s International Co-operation Department director Vu Van Trieu.
The ministry would continue its trade promotion and co-ordinate with diplomatic and trade agencies to help enterprises respond to trade disputes and overcome trade barriers, he said.
In related news, Vietnam notched up over US$1.4 billion from seafood exports in the first half of this year, posting a high on-year rise of 25.7 per cent partly due to bird flu outbreaks, statistics from the ministry showed.
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