(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In September 2023, Vietnam's seafood exports are estimated to reach 862 million USD, equivalent to the same period in 2022. Accumulated to the end of the third quarter of 2023, seafood exports will reach over 6.6 billion USD, down 22% over the same period.
In September, a number of key products regained balance compared to the same period last year. In particular, shrimp and tuna exports in September were equivalent to September 2022. Notably, the recovery of pangasius products with a positive growth rate of 9% compared to the same period last year. Exports of other products such as squid, octopus, crabs, and shellfish are still lower than the same period, but the decrease is only 6-12%.
By the end of September 2023, shrimp exports reached 2.55 billion USD, still 25% lower than the same period in 2022. However, export results in recent months have shown signs of recovery compared to previous months. The two main markets, the US and China, have begun to increase demand and exports to these two powers have both recorded positive growth in the past 2 months. Some main markets in the CPTPP bloc such as Japan, Australia, and Canada are also increasing shrimp imports from Vietnam.
Pangasius exports recorded revenue of nearly 1.4 billion USD by the end of September 2023, down 31% compared to the same period in 2022. Pangasius exports are tending to gradually recover in the markets of China, Mexico, and Brazil, Netherlands, UK and US... In September 2023, exports to some markets have regained balance or recorded growth compared to the same period in 2022.
Similar to shrimp, tuna exports also tend to improve, with sales in September equal to the same period in 2022. However, the continuous decline in the early part of the year caused the cumulative nine months of tuna exports to still decrease by 23%. reached 623 million USD.
By the end of September 2023, exports to the top 3 largest markets, the US, China and Japan, all exceeded the 1 billion USD mark. In particular, the US still holds the number 1 position with nearly 1.2 billion USD, 33% lower than the same period in 2022. The China - HK market has brought Vietnamese seafood 1.15 billion USD in first 3 quarters of the year, down 15%, while Japan imported seafood from Vietnam with a value of nearly 1.1 billion USD, down 14% over the same period last year.
In September alone, seafood exports to the US, China, and the EU all recovered, increasing from 4-17% over the same period in 2022. Exports to Japan were more or less mixed in September, so it was still 15% lower compared to September 2022.
The market is showing better signs, especially in the fourth quarter, so if there are no other changes, and raw material sources do not decline sharply, it is forecast that Vietnam's seafood exports in 2023 will bring in sales of about 9.2 – 9.3 billion USD.