Netherlands – The potential importer of Vietnam shrimp

In April and June 2017, shrimp exports to the Netherlands decreased compared with the same period in 2016; exports in the remaining months registered the positive growth. In the first month of 2018, shrimp exports to the market remained the good growth rate of 65% to see nearly US$16 million.

In 2017, Vietnam’s whiteleg shrimp shipments to the Netherlands took the main proportion of 81% in total shrimp exports; sales of black tiger shrimp accounted for 14%. For whiteleg shrimp and black tiger shrimp exports to the Netherlands, the export value of live/fresh/frozen item (HS code 03) is always higher than that of processed item (HS code 16).

In the export structure of shrimp products to the Netherlands in 2017, the export value of fresh/frozen whiteleg shrimp (HS code 03) increased by nearly 200% compared to 2016, that of processed whiteleg shrimp (HS code 16) rose by 36.5%. Exports of processed black tiger shrimp and live/fresh/frozen tiger shrimp to the country increased by 45% and 4%, respectively; meanwhile, those of dried marine shrimp and live/fresh/frozen marine shrimp decreased by 73% year on year.

The Netherlands is the 9th largest shrimp importer in the world. From 2016 until now, shrimp imports into the country have signs of recovery. Not only domestic consumption, the Netherlands also imports shrimp to export to the intra-EU.

According to the International Trade Center (ITC), in the first 11 months of 2017, shrimp imports into the Netherlands reached US$637.4 million; up 17% over the same period in 2016.

In the period, the top 5 largest shrimp suppliers to the Netherlands included Vietnam (23% of total Dutch shrimp imports); Bangladesh (15.3%); India (15%) and Morocco (11%).

In the first 11 months of 2017, the top 4 main shrimp suppliers to the Netherlands, shrimp imports from Vietnam, Morocco, Bangladesh increased, in which imports from Vietnam increased by 125%; those from India decreased slightly by 1.8%.

The Netherlands mainly imported frozen raw shrimp (HS code 030617) and non-bagged processed shrimp (HS code 160521), accounting for 64% and 26% respectively of total shrimp imports into this country. For shrimp products HS code 030617, Bangladesh and India were the two largest suppliers, Vietnam ranked the third. For shrimp HS code 160521, Vietnam is the largest exporter to the Netherlands. The import value of these two products into the Netherlands in Jan-Nov 2017 went up 45% and 53% respectively over the same period in 2016.

Out of the two largest shrimp suppliers to the Netherlands in Asia (India and Vietnam), the Netherlands tends to increase imports from Vietnam while reducing imports from India. The Netherlands boosts imports from Vietnam thanks to stable quality products and Vietnamese exporters are entitled to the tax incentives.

Moreover, the Netherlands has a tendency to increase shrimp imports from Vietnam thanks to the appreciation of the EUR against the USD and especially in the context of the upcoming EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).