QI/2016: Export upswing for Vietnamese shrimp

Global shrimp price tend to inch up because currency market was more stable (rise in JPY; more stability in the value of USD, EUR and currencies of Vietnam’s competitors). The price of domestic raw shrimp was higher than the same period of last year. Shrimp demand from main markets was stronger thanks to the stability in supply-demand at these markets. Vietnam shrimp exporters still benefit from lower duty rate of POR9. The shrimp supply from main producers like India, Thailand, Ecuador was affected by bad weather and diseases. The aboving factors helped to facilitate Vietnam shrimp exports in the first 3 months of this year.

Out of total shrimp exports by Vietnam in Jan-Mar 2016, the proportion of exported whiteleg shrimp and marine shrimp downed while that of black tiger shrimp rose. Demand for Vietnamese black tiger shrimp was higher thanks to its competitive price.

Among total shrimp exports, whiteleg shrimp took the highest proportion of 57.2% (from 59.2% of QI/2015), followed by black tiger shrimp with the proportion of 34.5% (from 31% of QI/2015) and the next was marine shrimp with 8.3% from 9.7% of QI/2015. For more detail, live/fresh/frozen whiteleg shrimp (HS code 03) was the most exported item with the revenue of US$190 million, making up 30.7% of the total shrimp exports. It was followed by live/fresh/frozen black tiger shrimp (HS 03) with the turnover of US$180 million, making up 29%.

Out of total shrimp exports in the period, exports of other processed black tiger shrimp (HS 16) reported the highest growth of 36.1% while exports of canned other shrimp (HS 16) reported the deepest dive of 76.9% with modest value of US$581 thousand.

QI/2016, Vietnam shrimp was exported to 64 markets from 67 ones of the same period last year. Top 10 largest markets of Vietnam shrimp included the US, EU, Japan, China, South Korea, Canada, Australia, ASEAN, Taiwan and Switzerlands, making up 94% of the total shrimp exports. Shrimp exports to main markets reported the year-on-year growth in which exports the US posted the highest growth of 30.6%, China (+24.3%), EU (+2.9%) and Japan (+0.7%). The decline was seen in exports to markets such as South Korea (-8%), Canada (-13,5%), Australia (-5,1%), ASEAN (-9,7%), Taiwan (-29,9%), Switzerland (-18,5%)…

Among single markets, shrimp exports to the UK and Belgium reported the year-on-year growth of 49.4% and 47.1%, respectively. The UK - the largest market of Vietnam shrimp in the EU bloc - has high demand for warmwater shrimp due to slump in coldwater shrimp supply.

In QII/2016, shrimp exports to Russia and China expected to rise and these two markets are considered as key markets in the coming time. Exports to the US and EU hoped to surge thanks to stability in supply-demand and shrimp price.

The revenue in QII predicted to reach US$788 million, up 10% year on year and the expected figure for the whole year of US$3.3 billion, up 12% year on year.

By Kim Thu