(vasep.com.vn) Since April 2013, the U.S. has become the leading importer among single markets for Vietnamese pangasius. Pangasius segment in this market has kept a growing trend, though U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) imposed higher antidumping tax on frozen pangasius fillets imported from Vietnam.
According to statistics by Vietnam Customs, Vietnam pangasius exports to the U.S. had worth of US$56.9 million in May 2013, up 72 percent against a year ago. In the first five months of 2013, this item brought back US$170.1 million, 16.4 percent up from the compatible period of the previous year. Vietnamese products sent to the U.S. reported a rise in volume, but price has still been stable. Frozen pangasius fillets 5 – 7 oz have now a price around US$1.8 per pound, higher than US$1.7 per pound registered in the first month of 2013. Currently, many U.S. fish outlets are trying to raise the price of this item.
Since the beginning of the year, U.S. buyers only sourced frozen catfish fillets from China (Chinese pangasius purchases stumbled of 99.8 percent to 1.2 thousand pounds). Imports of catfish into the U.S. registered in April fell down compared to those of March 2013, but are still considerably higher than the same month of 2012. Though imports in March and April jumped up remarkably, they were slightly down between January and April 2013. Referring to U.S National Marine Fisheries Service (MNFS), frozen catfish fillets sent to the U.S. reached 4.03 million pounds, down 2.9 percent from the same period of 2012; 1.16 million pounds of which were bought only in April (In April 2013, consigments from Vietnam reached the highest volume of 16.1 million pounds), up 118 percent compared to the past year. Therefore the market price of catfish was stable since March 2013.
MNFS said that U.S. paid US$60.184 million to import frozen pangasius fillets in the first four months of 2013, a value lower of 12 percent on that of 2012, in which fish from Vietnam totaled US$60.183 million, down 11.1 percent.
According to Seafood.com, frozen pangaisus fillets with ASC certification were lauched by Seacore Seafood within the Canadian market. The product has been traded in the group’s retail system under the brand of OceanPrime. Seacore Seafood is one of the leading processor, distributor and importer player in Canada. Its introduction of ASC pangasius opened a new door for sustainably-farmed pangasius and ASC certification in North American market and, therefore, is going to help this item to deeply enter into U.S. fish outlets in the future.