Vietnam earned $4.5 billion from seafood exports in the three quarters to September, according to Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
The export value in the nine-month period rose 4.3 pct compared to the previous year.
The United States has overtaken the European Union as the largest market for Vietnam’s seafood shipments.
VASEP Vice Chairman Nguyen Huu Dung said that the US demand remained steady but pangasius exports to the country experienced a setback due to falling prices.
However, revenues from the US market still increased as a result of the rising shipments of tuna, squid and octopus, added Mr. Dung, with tuna surging 45 pct and squid and octopus rising 30 pct over the same period last year.
In the EU market, these types of seafood also posted strong growth, with squid and octopus up 21.9 pct and tuna up 51.6 pct year on year.
Seafood exports to Australia also rose a staggering 44 pct to hit $79.2 million in the first three quarters of 2012.
Mr. Dung said that Australia saw the strongest growth of Vietnam’s shrimp exports in the January-September period and its demand will remain strong in the final months of the year.
In Southeast Asia, Malaysia is the largest importer of Vietnam’s pangasius with $15.05 million in the first seven months of 2012, accounting for one third of the country’s $44.4 million spending on frozen fish imports.