(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first 6 months of this year, Vietnam's seafood exports to the US reached US$901 million, up 39% over the same period last year, of which exports of aquaculture products accounted 68% to reach 612 million USD, up 42%; Export of marine products took for for 32%, reaching 289 million USD, up 32%.
The US is the only market that has continuously increased imports of seafood products from Vietnam since the first Covid wave until now. Therefore, this market plays an increasingly important position, accounting for 22% of Vietnam's total seafood export value, while it accounted for 18% of the same period last year.
Shrimp alone accounted for nearly half of seafood export value to the US with nearly $440 million, up 36% over the same period in 2020. This market increased imports of both vannamei and black tiger shrimp from Vietnam. However, vannamei shrimp accounts for the dominant proportion with over 390 million USD, black tiger shrimp is just over 37 million USD, the rest is marine shrimp and other shrimp.
The second largest export seafood species is pangasius, accounting for 19% of exports to the US with 169 million USD, a sharp increase of 58%, followed by tuna accounting for 17% with 153 million USD, up 21%.
Other fish species also accounted for a relatively large value with 21%, reaching nearly 78 million USD, a slight decrease of 1% over the same period. In which, the 5 fish species with the largest export value are seabass, mahi mahi, pollock, cod and grouper.
Although accounting for a small proportion, but the export of crabs, other crustaceans and mollusks to the US has increased sharply. Accordingly, the export of crabs and other crustaceans increased by 62% to 25.6 million USD, accounting for 3%. Export of bivalve molluscs doubled to over 10 million USD, of which clams alone accounted for 50%. Export of squid increased by 33% and octopus increased by 107% to a total of over 8 million USD.
(Abstract from the Report on Vietnam Seafood exports, QII/2021)