(vasep.com.vn) In the first 4 months of 2013, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached over US$619 million, representing an increase of 0.8 percent over the same period of 2012. Therefore, shrimp shipment to some main markets showed a recovery.
China outstripped EU in holding the third place for shrimp imports from Vietnam. In 2012, EU’s demand for shrimp dragged down due to regional economic turmoil and entering 2013, the trend continued downgrading this market to rank behind China for shrimp import from Vietnam.
Between Jan and Apr 2013, shrimp exports to China witnessed a positive growth of 15.4 percent with an export turnover of US$80.6 million. The market surpassed EU holding the third place in importing shrimp from Vietnam.
In 2013, China is considered to be an important and high potential market for Vietnam’s shrimp due to shrimp exports to large markets (the U.S., Japan and EU) faced a lot of obstacles.
China’s farmed shrimp production plunged due to diseases such as the early mortality syndrome (EMS). Due to the shortage of domestic raw shrimp, the country intensified shrimp’s import to meet demand for domestic consumption as well as processing.
In the first 4 months of 2013, shrimp shipment to Japan reported a modest increase of 2.4 percent. However, exports to the market showed positive signs after slumping in over a year when Japan implemented regulations to inspect Ethoxyquin used in producing shrimp feed.
Recently, Japan raised the maximum residue limits of Trifluralin, for Vietnam’s shrimp, from 0.001 ppm to 0.5 ppm. This fact shows that the control on Vietnam’s shrimp quality exported to Japan was improved remarkably.
In the first 4 months of 2013, among top 10 largest importers of Vietnam shrimp, South Korea saw the deepest decline with an export turnover of US$36.6 million, down 19.5 percent.
In March 2013, South Korea’s Animal, Plant and Fisheries Quarantine and Inspection Agency (QIA) informed that it would test ethoxyquin in frozen shrimp consignments imported from Vietnam in one year from Jan 1st 2013 to Dec 31st 2013. The level permitted by QIA is 0.01 ppm. QIA’s ethoxyquin test slashed sharply Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market.
In 2012, South Korea was the fifth largest importer of Vietnam shrimp with an export turnover of US$171.4 million, up 8.8 percent over 2011. Therefore, the decline was also reported in exports to other main markets such as the U.S. (-18.6 percent), EU (-24.5 percent) and exports to Japan was only up 1.7 percent.