(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the first half of April 2018, the total value of pangasius exports to the U.S market touched US$91.8 million, up 26.1%, accounting for 17.7% of total export value. So far, the export value of pangasius to the US market has kept the positive growth compared to the same period last year.
Currently, Vietnam and China stayed as the only two exporters of pangasius to the U.S market. In particular, the import proportion from Vietnam accounts for 90% of total pangasius imports into the U.S.
In particular, if in the previous years, China mainly only exported fresh and chilled pangasius (HS code 030432) to the U.S market, in 2017 this country began to increase shipments of frozen pangasius fillets (HS code 030462) to the market with a total value of US$37.2 million.
The average import price of pangasius from China quoted at US$6.77/kg while that from Vietnam was only US$3.42/kg.
Recently, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the U.S market went up due to an increase in domestic raw material prices. However, anti-dumping tariffs and the catfish inspection program are still considered as the two major difficulties for pangasius companies.
It is forecasted that in the second quarter of 2018, the export value of pangasius to the U.S market increased slightly compared with the same period of 2017 but the number of exporters to this market remained with the 3 enterprises.