Pangasius fillets (Photo: Stockfile)

Seafood sales to the EU increased by 20 percent in the first half of 2021

VIET NAM
Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 07:00 (GMT + 9)

Vietnam saw an increase in seafood sales in the EU in the first six months of this year, but a new COVID-19 outbreak in the Southeast Asian country, along with the effects of a yellow card from the European Commission, is likely to slow sales this month. SeafoodSource reports that seafood sales from Vietnam to the EU increased by 20 percent in the first half of 2021

Vietnam exported US$ 486 million (€ 412.8 million) worth of seafood to the EU from January to June, increasing sales by 20 percent year on year, according to data from the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) on July 21.

Of this total, farm-grown seafood sales rose 18 percent year on year to US$ 332 million (€ 282 million), while the export value of wild products was US$ 154 million (€ 130.8 million), which is 24 percent more than a year earlier.

Shrimp sales were US $ 256 million (€ 217.4 million), up 27 percent year-on-year, including US$ 205 million (€ 174 million) from whiteleg (vannamei)  shrimp, which increased by 31 percent; and US $ 36.5 million (€ 31 million) were for black tiger prawns, which increased by 15 percent. The remainder came from the sale of marine shrimp and lobster.

The export value of other products also increased in the first half of the year, including tuna - by US$ 74 million (EUR 62.8 million), up 31 percent, shellfish - by US$ 33 million (EUR 28 million), up by 45 percent up, squid by US$ 21 million (€ 17.8 million), up 56 percent, and octopuses by US$ 5.5 million (€ 4.7 million), up 33 percent from the same period last year.

However, pangasius sales were down 18 percent to $ 58 million (€ 49.3 million) in the first six months of 2021.

The European Union was the fourth largest market for seafood from Vietnam after the United States, Japan and China. It was the third largest buyer of shrimp from Vietnam after the United States and Japan, and the second largest importer of tuna products.

Vietnam is experiencing its worst coronavirus outbreak, which is having a negative impact on the seafood sector.

The European Commission issued a yellow card to Vietnam in 2017, arguing that the Southeast Asian country has not done enough to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The obstacles caused by this warning and the COVID-19 outbreak will impact Vietnam's exports to the block in the second half of this year.

VASEP estimates EU sales of US$ 600 million (€ 509.5 million) between July and December, up 8 percent from the same period last year.

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