(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2015, Vietnam pangasius exports to the UK valued US$46.56 million, accounting for 3% of total export value, up 13.9% over the previous year. The average prices of imported catfish and pangasius into the UK were about US$3.11 - 3.82/kg, higher than some other markets in Europe such as Germany, Belgium, Finland, and France. Higher price in 2015 helped to facilitate pangasius exports of Vietnam to the market.
However, in the first three months of this year, pangasius exports to the UK were on the downward trend. As of Mar 2016, the figure estimated at US$10.7 million, down 13.1% compared to the same period in 2015. Despite the year-on-year decline, the UK still stays as the second largest pangasius importer of Vietnam in the EU bloc.
The reason for the decline was that last year (especially in the late 2015) retail sales of frozen pangasius in the UK posted a fall. In particular, pangasius from Vietnam were subject to fierce competition with some other marine products (salmon, cod, pollock, warm-water shrimp, and tuna). In the late 2015, consumption of whitefish species, especially cod as well as salmon in the UK surged up.
Vietnam currently ranks the 7th in the top largest whitefish suppliers to the UK, but provides almost all pangasius products to this market, accounting for 87-93% of the total import value of catfish and pangasius into the UK.
According to ITC statistics, in 2015, the import value of some whitefish species into the UK recorded the good growth, especially frozen cod fillets (HS code 030471). In addition, imports of other products such as haddock fillets (HS code 030472); frozen Alaska pollock fillets (HS code 030475); fresh/chilled haddock (HS code 030252) remained stable. In 2015, pangasius imports into the UK had positive growth, however, in QI/2016 the imports were slowed down.
In Jan 2016, import value of whitefish products (cod, haddock, Alaska pollock, and tilapia) from Iceland, China, Norway, and Russia continues to increase, while pangasius imports from Vietnam were stagnant. However, the drop in QI/2016 was temporary, in QII/2016, Vietnam pangasius exports to the UK expected to rise up.
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Whitefish imports into the UK in 2015 (Thousand US$)
|
|
No.
|
Markets
|
QI
|
QII
|
QIII
|
QIV
|
2015
|
2014
|
Variation (%)
|
|
1
|
Iceland
|
50,942
|
49,843
|
44,147
|
47,976
|
192,908
|
186,097
|
3.7
|
|
2
|
China
|
54,953
|
36,926
|
53,627
|
36,828
|
182,334
|
201,088
|
-9.3
|
|
3
|
Norway
|
24,726
|
19,258
|
22,245
|
29,482
|
95,711
|
105,971
|
-9.7
|
|
4
|
Russia
|
30,323
|
25,322
|
17,588
|
17,977
|
91,210
|
74,727
|
22.1
|
|
5
|
The Faroe Islands
|
18,985
|
15,858
|
14,102
|
9,280
|
58,225
|
46,146
|
26.2
|
|
6
|
Germany
|
9,999
|
16,348
|
14,918
|
10,097
|
51,362
|
50,651
|
1.4
|
|
7
|
Vietnam
|
12,991
|
11,925
|
11,585
|
10,565
|
47,066
|
41,851
|
12.5
|
|
8
|
Denmark
|
12,624
|
12,421
|
9,697
|
7,599
|
42,341
|
48,676
|
-13.0
|
|
9
|
The U.S.
|
8,741
|
3,402
|
3,278
|
5,850
|
21,271
|
29,472
|
-27.8
|
|
10
|
Poland
|
5,032
|
5,728
|
4,615
|
5,194
|
20,569
|
33,618
|
-38.8
|
|
11
|
Sweden
|
2,992
|
4,298
|
3,140
|
1,839
|
12,269
|
11,427
|
7.4
|
|
12
|
South Africa
|
1,841
|
1,405
|
1,165
|
1,574
|
5,985
|
7,500
|
-20.2
|
|
13
|
The Netherlands
|
1,371
|
1,544
|
1,322
|
1,658
|
5,895
|
8,738
|
-32.5
|
|
14
|
Canada
|
1270
|
872
|
1227
|
451
|
3,820
|
5,848
|
-34.7
|
|
15
|
Ireland
|
978
|
488
|
770
|
635
|
2,871
|
6,986
|
-58.9
|
Written by Ta Ha
Compiled by Dieu Thuy