(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sao Ta Foods Joint Stock Company (ticker symbol FMC - HoSE), one of Vietnam's largest shrimp exporters, recently announced its 2024 business results.
Specifically, the company estimates that its total processed shrimp production increased by nearly 22% compared to 2023, reaching 25,833 tons. In contrast, total processed agricultural products dropped by 34%, totaling 1,040 tons.
By the end of December 2024, the company had completed stocking shrimp seedlings for the off-season across its entire shrimp farming area.
Regarding sales, the volume of processed shrimp sold reached 22,164 tons, up 27% compared to 2023. For agricultural products, the sales volume decreased by 4%, totaling 1,309 tons.
For the full year 2024, Sao Ta Foods estimates total revenue of $250.86 million, a 25% increase compared to 2023 and 19% higher than the company's initial target.
These impressive results come despite significant challenges faced by Vietnam’s shrimp industry, including global economic instability, unfavorable shrimp farming conditions, and trade defense measures targeting Vietnamese shrimp, particularly in the U.S. market.
In connection with the countervailing duty case involving frozen warmwater shrimp imported from Vietnam, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) issued its final ruling on October 22, 2024. The ruling imposes a countervailing duty rate of 221.82% on one non-cooperating company and a 2.84% rate for all other Vietnamese exporters.
Sao Ta Foods's management noted that it had anticipated the risks associated with exporting to the U.S. market. The company proactively allocated provisions for antidumping and countervailing duties in its U.S. sales revenue. Additionally, since 2020, the company has implemented various market strategies to mitigate these risks, including shifting focus to the Japanese market.
The Japanese market is considered a “home ground” for Sao Ta Foods, allowing the company to leverage its strengths in premium, deeply processed products while reducing business risks. This advantage stems from Japan’s geographical proximity and the lack of direct competition with low-cost shrimp from India and Ecuador. Currently, Sao Ta Foods is Vietnam’s largest shrimp exporter to Japan.