(vasep.com.vn) Starting to import pangasius from Vietnam in 2008 at around 600 MT/year with annual value of US$ 1.6 million, now, among ASEAN nations, after Thailand and Singapore, the Philippines is the third most popular destination for the fish.
According to Vietnam General Customs, pangasius exports to the Philippines in 2014 valued at US$ 28.4 million, up 6% year on year. In February 2015, pangasius exports to the Philippines worth US$ 2.12 million, representing a 6% increase. This brought cumulative pangasius exports in 2015 to US$ 4.6 million, up 11% from 2014.
In recent years, Vietnam, keeping 73.3% of the market share, has been the leading source of frozen fish fillets to the Philippines. Most of these products were pangasius. In 2014, the Philippines imported 17,893 MT of frozen fish fillets from Vietnam, up 11% from 2013. Meanwhile, China, the runner-up sent 10,953 MT, up 23%.
Domestic pangasius farming in the Philippines is limited, therefore, the market needs imports from Vietnam. In the Philippines, imported pangasius is a material for value-added products such as smoked fish, fried fish or sausage.
Reportedly, several projects have been implemented in the Philippines to reduce pangasius imports with a hope to tackle food security and create more jobs. Pangasius is the third common farmed freshwater fish because of its high capability.
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Top 10 frozen fish fillets (code HS0304) exporting countries to the Philippines by value
(Unit: US$ million)
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Country
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2010
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2011
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2012
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2013
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2014
|
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Vietnam
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12,108
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23,636
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27,269
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26,559
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28,475
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China
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2,588
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4,241
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4,358
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5,342
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7,154
|
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Malaysia
|
31
|
29
|
35
|
178
|
693
|
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Marshall Islands
|
254
|
0
|
302
|
658
|
444
|
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Netherlands
|
1
|
4
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0
|
69
|
390
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Indonesia
|
848
|
918
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1,083
|
324
|
375
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Thailand
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153
|
151
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258
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369
|
206
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Australia
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43
|
273
|
189
|
170
|
197
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Singapore
|
129
|
87
|
178
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394
|
179
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UK
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0
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0
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37
|
48
|
160
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