(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In QI/2016, exports of Vietnam bivalve mollusks, mainly clam, valued US$18.6 million, up 9.4% compared to QI/2015. Vietnam exported these products to 43 countries worldwide, adding more 7 countries over the same period in 2015.
Exports of live/fresh/chilled clam by China also posted a rise in 2015 and the early 2016. However, the export price of these items by China were unstable in the range of US$1.5/kg - US$1.9/kg.
Top 9 major importers of Vietnam bivalve mollusk included the EU, the U.S., Japan, ASEAN, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, China, Canada, making up 98.8% of total export value; higher than the proportion of 98.4% in QI/2015. In particular, exports to Korea recorded the highest growth of 230.2% to US$907 thousand. Followed by Australia with the growth of 149.8%, worth by US$203 thousand. The EU was the largest importer of Vietnam bivalve mollusk, however, the proportion of bivalve mollusk exported to the market fell to 60.5% in QI/2016 from 68.4% in QI/2015.
In the first three months of 2016, the sales to the U.S. estimated at US$2.44 million, up 88% year on year. The country stayed as the 3rd in the growth rate among the top 9 largest cephalopod importers of Vietnam. For bivalve mollusk products, the U.S. recently ranked the 2nd in the leading importing market of Vietnam, taking up 13.1% of total export value, nearly doubling compared with 7.6% in QI/2015. Vietnam increased exports of clam to this market thanks to higher prices than other major ones. In Jan-Feb 2016, the average export price of clam was quoted at US$2.57/kg, higher than in Jan-Feb 2015 with US$2.48/kg.
The number of clam suppliers to the U.S. in Jan-Feb 2016 reported a year-on-year decrease, however, the volume and value of clam imported into the market showed a climb. In the first 2 months of this year, the U.S. imported clam from 12 countries, down from 13 countries in Jan-Feb 2015. The average import price of clam into the U.S. in the period was US$2.56/kg, down from US$2.76/kg in Jan-Feb 2015.
In QI/2016, Vietnam’s bivalve mollusk imports totaled US$2.927 million, up 2.3% over the same period in 2015. Vietnam imported bivalve mollusks from 14 countries over the world. In particular, most of them were from Denmark, worth by US$1.029 million, picking up 35.2% of the total bivalve mollusk imports into Vietnam.
Written by Ngoc Thuy
Compiled by Dieu Thuy