(pangasius-vietnam.com) Out of 130 countries and territories importing Vietnam pangasius, Spain is one of 5 largest single importers as well as the largest market of Vietnam pangasius in EU block. However, in the first two weeks of January 2012, Vietnam pangasius exports to Spain continued to decline and showed no upward trend in the upcoming months this year.
From the beginning to January 15th 2012, Vietnam pangasius shipment to Spain reached 4.5 million MT, 5.3 percent lower than that of the same period of 2011.
However, Vietnam pangasius export value to EU reached US$21.7 million, up 8 percent over that of the same period of 2011. EU is a main importer of Vietnam seafood. EU’s members are not only the most prosperous in the world but also consume nearly 47 percent of total frozen pangasius fillet imports worldwide in which Germany, France, the U.K and Spain are the largest importers.In the past 6 months, the wholesale price of some whitemeat fish such as frozen hake, cod in Spain was stable.
Since August 2011 to January 2012, frozen hake was quoted at EUR2 to EUR7 per kilogram (variation to each type), hake rings were quoted at EUR5 per kilogram while in fresh form, the price of these white meat species fluctuated drastically.
Spanish people tend to consume frozen fish more than fresh and live fish and they like to buy fish at the supermarkets and big supermarkets rather than at traditional fish markets. In trend of seafood consumption, they like shrimp, squid, cod, tuna most. Spanish people’s demand of high quality seafood products and imported value-added seafood products is high but they have to consider to buy products with a reasonable price amid economic recession in Spain as well as EU.