According to Vietnam Customs, in the first nine months of 2009, Viet Nam exported 57,962MT of cephalopods for a value of US$204.746 million, down 11.7 percent in volume and 14.6 percent in value against the same period last year. In September alone, cephalopods exports amounted to 7,144MT, worth US$25.834 million, down 7.4 percent in volume and 5.6 percent in value year-on-year.
In September, South Korea surpassed EU to become Viet Nam’s largest cephalopods importer in terms of volume with 2,372MT, an increase of 13.5 percent compared with the same period last year. Cephalopods exports to this market in the first nine months of the year reached 19,626MT, valued at US$6.846 million, up 13.7 percent on year, ranking second after Japan.
Japan remained the largest importer of Viet Nam cephalopods in terms of value, reaching US$8.5 million in September and US$70.28 million in the first nine months of the year. However, cephalopods exports to this market experienced a sharp drop (-10.3 percent) in volume and a slight decrease in value (-2.9 percent) compared to the same period of 2008.
Cephalopods exports to EU and other major markets as Japan, Taiwan, China and ASEAN kept on decreasing in September. Cephalopods exports to Japan was down 12.2 percent in volume and 3.7 percent in value, to ASEAN down 44.2 percent in volume and 11 percent in value, to Taiwan down
48.1 percent in volume and 58.4 percent in value, to China down 66 percent in volume and 59.11 percent in value. In fact, cephalopods exports decreased at slower rate than in previous months.
In the first nine months of the year, the U.S. was regarded as the most stable market with high growth rate of 31.5 percent in volume and 25 percent in value compared to the same period last year. In September alone, cephalopods exports to this market increased by 29.7 percent in volume and 12.2 percent in value year-on-year.
In September, cephalopods exports to Malaysia experienced a sharp increase. In the first nine months of the year, cephalopods exports to this market reached 249MT for a value of US$798,000, up 601.9 percent in volume and 465.4 percent in value compared with the same period last year. (VietFishNews)
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