QI/2014, drop in Vietnamese exports of bivalve mollusk

The 9 leading markets for Vietnamese bivalve mollusk were the EU, Japan, the U.S., South Korea, ASEAN, Australia, Taiwan, China – Hong Kong and Mexico, representing 98.6 percent of total exports.

The EU was the largest importer of Vietnam with a value of US$13.2 million in Q.I/2014, contributing 67 percent to Vietnam’s bivalve mollusk sales, down 20.3 percent year on year. Spain, Portugal and Italy were the 3 biggest importers in this region, but imports from Vietnam decreased by 2.5 percent, 11.9 percent and 31 percent, respectively.

Vietnam ranked 5^th among suppliers of bivalve mollusk to Spain, after Chile, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Portugal. Spain is a big consumer of bivalve mollusk in EU with growth of 2 – 17 percent in annual consumption. However, in early 2014, imports by the market dropped 15 – 43 percent year on year in value.

Through February 2014, Vietnamese exporters boosted exports to Portugal. This is considered as the most potential market in Europe so far. Vietnam is also the biggest supplier of this kind of products to Portugal with a proportion of 34 – 53 percent in this country’s import value, even higher than that of Spain and New Zealand.

South Korea was the 4^th importer of Vietnam, after the EU, Japan and the U.S. The rise in exports in 3 first consecutive months (+24.8 percent in January; +8.5 percent in February; +85 percent in March) showed that Korean market is a very high potential for Vietnamese exporters. If this rise is stable, South Korea will pass Australia in the ranking of Vietnam’s bivalve mollusk importers.

Currently, Chinese products made up of 75 – 80 percent in Korean total imports of bivalve mollusk. Vietnam ranked 6^th in the top 10 suppliers but its market share was only 1.5 percent.

In Q.I/2014, Vietnamese bivalve mollusk is sold to 38 markets, compared to 36 markets reported in 2013.