(vasep.com.vn) As of the first half of September 2012, exports of Vietnam cephalopod and bivalve mollusk to Taiwan reported the deepest reduction compared to that of the same period of 2011 while statistics of Taiwan Customs showed that in the past 7 months, mollusk still made up nearly 30 percent of total import value of finfish and crustacean, mollusk and other aquatic invertebrates into Taiwan.
At that time, Vietnam cephalopod exporters switched to export their products to main markets in which export value to Japan was up 35.8 percent, to ASEAN up 21.1 percent and China and Hong Kong up 53.5 percent, the U.S. up nearly 22 percent but export value to Taiwan was down 49.8 percent over that of the same period of 2011.
Between January and September 2012, bivalve mollusk exports to Taiwan in consecutive 8 months sank by 50.6 – 89.3 percent over that of the same time last year. The figure showed an alarming reduction in the current situation of mollusk exports.
Although, up to now, seafood in general and cephalopod, bivalve mollusk in particular are still crucial in Taiwanese people’s diet, in the last three years, the market reduced importing these seafood items and increased importing farmed fish such as cobia, red snapper, grouper and strengthened to cooperate with Chinese seafood enterprises.
In the five year period between 2007 and 2010, mollusk (HS 0307 code) imports into Taiwan surged by 200 percent in volume and 140 percent in value. However, in recent two years, the figures dropped annually.
According to Taiwan Customs, in the first 7 months of this year, seafood (HS 0307 code) imports into the market still advanced by 9 percent in volume but reported the equal value over those of 2011.
In the first 7 months of 2012, average export price of cephalopod and bivalve mollusk to Taiwan was much lower than that to South Korea and ASEAN. Average import price of mullusk into Taiwan dropped to US$2.5 – US$2.75 per kilogram in 2012 from US$2.8 – US$3.2 per kilogram in 2011.
At the same time, Taiwan reduced mollusk import value from countries such as Japan down 35 percent, the Philippines down 8 percent and Peru down 16 percent while the market increased importing from China with the growth in volume of 13 percent and in value of nearly 5 percent; imports from Indonesia up 21 percent in volume and 38.7 percent in value. Now, China and Indonesia are two largest suppliers of these products for Taiwan.
As of July 2012, squid (HS 030749 code) imports into Taiwan from Indonesia were up more than 26 percent in volume and more than 60 percent in value. The figure of imports from China surged by over 200 percent in volume and nearly 280 percent in value.
Through the year to July 2012, Taiwan also purchased more than 1,300 MT of oyster, over 50 MT of scallop, over 340 MT of octopus, mainly from China.
In the remaining months of the year, there may be little change in mollusk export price to Taiwan and Taiwanese enterprises are boosting cooperation with Chinese enterprises which Vietnam cephalopod exporters should pay attention to boost exporting to the market for the last time of this year.