(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Since March 2021, pangasius exports to some major markets such as China - Hong Kong, the US, Thailand and Brazil have started to grow again, helping to increase the total value of pangasius exports in the first 4 months of this year increased by 8.9% over the same period last year, reaching 489.4 million USD.
China - Hong Kong
In January 2021, Vietnam's pangasius exports to the Chinese market were affected due to the regulations on inspection of imported frozen foods to prevent corona infection of some Vietnam - China border gates, causing the export value of pangasius to increase. to this market decreased by 31.3% over the same period last year. However, from the end of February and the beginning of March 2021, the export value of pangasius to this market increased from 16.7 to 28% over the same period last year. Currently, pangasius exports to China - Hong Kong market have grown again. By the end of April 2021, the total value of pangasius exports to this market reached 117.2 million USD, accounting for nearly 24% of Vietnam's total pangasius export value and up 5.4% over the same period in 2020. China - Hong Kong returned to the leading position in the top of the largest pangasius export markets of Vietnamese enterprises.
The US
In April 2021, the export value of pangasius to the US increased sharply by 136% over the same period last year, reaching 30.3 million USD. By the end of April 2021, the total value of pangasius exports to this market reached US$102 million, up 36.7% over the same period last year. The average export price of pangasius to the US market in 2020 was lower than in 2019, but in the first quarter of 2021, the average price of frozen pangasius fillets exported to the US increased to 2.87 USD/kg. Since the end of 2020, the inventory of pangasius in the US has not been much, in addition, the domestic catfish production of this country has also decreased. Therefore, right from the beginning of this year, the US has increased imports of frozen pangasius.
Brazil and Thailand
In April 2021, the export value of pangasius to these two markets skyrocketed. This is beyond the expectations of many market experts in the pangasius industry because in 2020, the value of Vietnamese pangasius exports to Brazil and Thailand will be heavily affected by Covid. In this month, the export value to Brazil increased by 687%, and to Thailand also increased by 47% over the same period last year. By the end of April, the total value of pangasius exports to Brazil reached 22.3 million USD, to Thailand reached 21.2 million USD, up 38.7% and 8.5% respectively over the same period last year. The return of export growth to Thailand - the largest pangasius import market in ASEAN - is also a good signal to increase the value of pangasius exports to this region in the next quarter.