(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Over the past 2 months, the Covid epidemic broke out strongly and the export distancing requirements reduced seafood exports to many large and small markets. However, Spain is one of the few markets that still maintains the growth of Vietnam's seafood imports during this difficult period with an increase of 48% in August and continued to increase by 6.3% in September 2021, reaching 7.2 million USD.
By the end of September 2021, Vietnam's seafood exports to Spain reached US$52.3 million, up 15.4% over the same period last year. In terms of the single import market, Spain ranks 22nd among the seafood import markets of Vietnam, accounting for 1% of seafood export turnover in the first 9 months of this year.
Seafood exports to Spain in recent months maintained positive growth thanks to product groups including clams, vannamei shrimp, black tiger shrimp, squid, octopus, fish cakes and surimi.
Clams account for the largest proportion in the structure of seafood products exported to Spain, accounting for 34% of the value. In September, clam exports to this market continued to increase by 6%, bringing the export result in the first 9 months of the year to nearly 18 million USD, up 38%.
Vannamei exports to Spain also increased sharply by 22% in September and accumulated in the first 9 months of the year increased by 54% to nearly 2.9 million USD. Notably, the export of black tiger shrimp to this market in September increased by nearly 4 times compared to the same period last year and by the end of September, the export of black tiger shrimp increased by 2.5 times compared to the same period in 2020. Currently , Vietnam mainly exports fresh/frozen whole black tiger shrimp to the Spanish market, ranging in size from 10/20 heads/kg to 30/40 heads/kg. The average price of black tiger shrimp exported to this market is about 11 USD/kg.
Shrimp products account for 9.3% of seafood export turnover to Spain, after clams, tuna and pangasius.
The picture of light-colored exports is still depressed by the dark color gamut from the result that pangasius continued to decline deeply by 36% in September and 27% in the first 9 months of the year, reaching over $8 million. Pangasius accounts for more than 15% of seafood export turnover to Spain. In addition, tuna exports also decreased slightly by 2.2% in September, but accumulated in 9 months still maintained the growth rate of 13% to over 15 million USD.
It is forecasted that from now until the end of the year, Spain will continue to be a bright spot thanks to stronger growth in exports of shrimp, clams and tuna for Christmas and New Year needs. It is forecasted that seafood exports to Spain in the fourth quarter will increase by 13% to about 21 million USD, bringing the export result for the whole year 2021 to 73 million USD, up 15% compared to 2020.