The exports of main products are achieving positive growths, in which shrimp exports reached $3.1 billion, US$1.7 billion for pangasius. Tuna exports recovered with the highest rate of 12% to nearly US$510 million, cephalopod exports also rose slightly by 2.3% to reach US$439 million.

With proactive and flexible dealing with market barriers, anti-dumping tariff, adaptable with conditions of domestic and international supply - demand, companies maintained traditional markets of the USA, EU, Japan, on the other hand they boosted exports of key products of shrimp, pangasius, tuna and cephalopods to the potential markets, especially Chinese market.

Except for Canada and Brazil, exports to other markets in the top 10 major markets, got positive growths, of which exports to Russia increased by strongest rate of 122%, exports to China also had positive growth of nearly 40%.

Exports to the US are expected to be affected by anti-dumping tariff on shrimp and pangasius, but thanks to increased average import price, exports to the US maintained growth of 10% in 2016. However, competitive pressure, anti-dumping tariff and technical barriers will cause exports to the U.S in 2017 difficult to maintain such a strong growth of 2016.

With export result of US$1.45 billion in QI and US$1.69 billion in QII, Vietnam’s total seafood exports in the first 6 months of 2016 hit US$3.15 billion, up 4% year on year.

After the growth of 8% in QI/2016, shrimp exports in QII/2016 only rose 2.3% due to shortage of domestic raw materials.

Sales of pangasius and tuna witnessed the respective surge of 8% and 4.8% in QII/2016 after the rise of 2.4% of pangasius and the slump of 5.5% of tuna in QI/2016.

In QII/2016, except for the decline of 12.4% in cephalopod exports (QI/2016: -4.8%), exports of other marine products tend to report year-on-year growth.

Demand from the US remained stable, so exports to the market reported positive growth of 11%. The growth of 43% was seen in exports to China. Exports to some major markets like EU, ASEAN, Australia recovered. The recovery helped to compensate for the slight reduction of 3% in exports to Japan and 1% in exports to South Korea and contributed into the positive growth of Vietnam seafood revenue in the first half of the year. Seafood demand from markets is expected to remain stable or better in the second half of the year.

The Department of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products and salt (under MARD) said, among the key export markets of Vietnam, demand from the United States will rise sharply and steadily. Taking incentives from TPP would also be advantages for Vietnam agricultural products in the coming time.

For years, wood and seafood products are the major items, bringing a large contribution in the total export turnover of Vietnam to the United States.

EU is a import market with huge purchasing power for different products. The free trade agreement with the EU ended negotiation period, opening up the opportunities for Vietnam agriculture, when 90% of goods imported to the market are applied tariff of 0%.

Coffee, seafood, wood and wood products represent the largest proportion in the Vietnam agricultural products export to EU.

Besides, in 2016 ASEAN will be an area of common market with the liberalisation of goods trade in the area with tax of 0%. The import tax is deleted comletely help easily trading the goods of the countries in the region. Some of the major items exported to the market include the seafood, vegetables, tea, rice, wood, rubber.

Russia is also in the great potential import market as Russia has a large import demand for agricultural commodities that are Vietnam's strengths. Russia’s ban on imports of many agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits and aquatic products from the EU, the United States and some of its neighbours in Eastern Europe would be a good opportunity for Vietnam to increase the export of the items. This is the premise to take advantage of trade agreements with Customs Union of Belarus-Kazakhstan-Russia before other countries have same conditions for market entry. The main products exporting to the market are tea, coffee and vegetables.

For the African market, Vietnam agricultural products are having a foothold in the market and create a reputation for African consumers. The agricultural products exported to the market area is rice, timber and coffee ...

Compiled by Le Hang

From: www.vasep.com.vn

The trade deal will bring tons of opportunities for Vietnamese companies when their shrimp export to South Korea is free from tax. This is considered as a significant competitive advantage for Vietnamese exporters. It is confirmed by the South Korea that each year, 10,000 MT of Vietnamese shrimp will be tax exempt, against the current quota of 2,500 MT/year. In the next 5 years, this will be graudually raised to 15,000 MT/year. 

As expected, in QI/2014, Vietnam shrimp exports continued to get positive results in 2013 and reported high growth thanks to increase in whiteleg shrimp production and shipment. This contributed to driving total seafood exports of the country to reach US$1.65 billion, up 31 percent year on year, the highest growth level in 3 years.

Shrimp exports made up the largest proportion of total export value, with US$2.24 billion, down 6.6 percent over that of 2011 in which whiteleg shrimp hit US$741 million (up 33 percent) and black tiger shrimp hit US$1.25 billion (up 56 percent), the rest was other species of shrimp.

In 2012, Vietnam shrimp was sent to 93 markets. Exports to EU and the U.S. strongly slashed (down 24 percent and 19 percent, respectively) due to low demand and Vietnam shrimp’s weaker competitiveness in these markets.

Pangasius products were exported to 142 markets. EU was the largest market but exports to the block showed the strongest decline of 19 percent, hitting US$1.74 billion. Exports to the U.S. remained the growth of 8.4 percent. Other markets kept the positive growth in which China was the most prominent market with the growth of 31.5 percent.

In 2012, Vietnam delivered its tuna to 94 markets with export turnover of US$569 million, up 50 percent compared to that of 2011. Out of Vietnam’s key exported seafood items, tuna experienced the highest growth thanks to higher catch landings and raw tuna imports to process and re-export.

The exports revenue of cephalopods were US$502 million, up 3.5 percent from 2011. In 2012, South Korea and EU reduced importing Vietnam cephalopod (down 12.3 percent and 19.4 percent, respectively). Japan remained the growth of above 10 percent. Other markets (ASEAN, China, Thailand, the U.S..) reported a good results with the growth of 15-30 percent.

Fish paste and surimi earned US$275 million, up 35.6 percent from 2011 thanks to high global demand. Besides, the processors can use domestic raw material for processing and offer affordable price for their products amid economic downturn.

REPORT ON VIETNAM SEAFOOD EXPORT IN THE FIRST QUARTER/2012 (From www.vasep.com.vn) Companion with Seafood Enterprises - published on 15/05/2012.                REPORT ON VIETNAM SEAFOOD EXPORT OUTLINE – QUARTER I/2012

CHAPTER I: FISHERIES INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

I.   FISHERIES PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IN THE QUARTER I/2012

In the first quarter of 2012, Vietnam seafood export reached total value of US$1.324 billion, a 15.3 percent rise compared to the same period of 2011. This period, challenges in supply of raw materials still dominated national export-driven seafood industry. Additionally, local seafood processors had to face a large range of rising costs, as well as challenges from importing markets.

Generally, it is likely to see 9 highlights in Vietnam seafood industry in the first three months:

1.  Lack of raw material

2. Serious lack of capital, negative impact on production

3. Higher production cost and weak competitiveness due to inappropriate policies

4. Numbers of seafood exporters down 40 percent

5. Export to the EU slowing down due to regional financial downturn

6.  Pangasius companies boosting export to the U.S

7. Increase trend in export to Asian markets

8. Australia recording the highest growth of 42.3 percent

9. Rise in raw material import

II. FORECAST ON SEAFOOD PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IN Q.II/2012

1. Production: Scarcity of raw material is going on in QII.
2. Export: It is forecasted that seafood exports in QII will show a slight increase of 2 – 3 percent from that of the same period of 2011. The growth in seafood exports will slow down over the corresponding period last year.

CHAPTER II: SHRIMP EXPORTS

I.  SHRIMP PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS IN THE QUARTER I/2012

In the first quarter of 2012, Vietnam shrimp exports touched over US$436 million, representing a modest growth of 9.3 percent from that of the same period of 2011. Plague on shrimp tended to spread, shrimp price on the global markets sank, import demand from Japan, the U.S., and EU was unstable, there were a lot of unfavorable policies which hampered shrimp exports in QI/2012. Thanks to the shift in exports to Asian markets, shrimp shipment in the last three months remained a positive but modest growth.

2.  Epidemic on shrimp spreaded out

3.  Shrimp price in the global market sank

4.  Affect of unfavourable policies

5.  Instability in shrimp exports to EU, Japan and the U.S

6.  Shrimp exports to Asia and Australia rose sharply

II. FORECAST ON SHRIMP PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS IN QII/2012

1. Production: Black tiger shrimp price is expected to rise sharply and whiteleg shrimp exports continue to show its strengths
2. Exports: Shrimp shipment to Asian market continues to surge 
   
   

CHAPTER III: PANGASIUS EXPORT

I.   PANGASIUS PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IN THE QUARTER I/2012

In the first quarter of 2012, Vietnam exported 1661.202 MT of pangasius for a total of US$425 million, up 5.3 percent in volume and 13 percent in value compared to the same quarter of 2011. However, the result is not reflection of development trend of pangasius industry because growth in fish export value does not mean high profit earned by exporters.

In general, pangasius production and export in the first quarter of 2012 has eight main points:

1. Prices of raw material and pangasius fingerlings favorable to fish farmers

2. Difficulties in credit access and high bank loan rate payment

3. Drop of 20 percent in proportion of seafood exported to EU

4. Spanish market’s recovery

5. Slowing down export to Brazil, but higher market share in Q.I/2012

6. Pangasius export to the U.S. up from 14.6 percent in Q.I/2011 to 19.3 percent in Q.I/2012

7. Mexico becoming the third single market of Vietnam pangasius

8. Drop in pangasius shipment to Russia due to government measures to cut import and enhance domestic consumption

II. FORECAST FOR PANGASIUS PRODUCTION AND EXPORT IN Q.II/2012

1. Production: pangasius processors still face lack of raw material due to shortage of capital
2. Exports: Pangasius delivery to EU slows down

CHAPTER IV: MARINE PRODUCTS EXPORTS

1. Catch landings rose but couldnot meet raw material demand for processing and exporting
2. Fishermen and processors of marine products lack capital
3. Marine product enterprises subjected to many irrational costs
4. Marine product imports increased
5. The export proportion of bivalve mollusk and swimming crab reduced, that of tuna and other finfish rose
6. Exports of processed marine products increased (HS code 16)
7. The number of importers reduced
8. Tuna exports to the U.S. reduced moderately but to EU rose
9. Lack of raw material led to reduction in octopus export proportion
10. Bivalve mollusk exports continued to reduce

I.      FORECAST ON PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS OF MARINE PRODUCTS IN THE QUARTER II/2012

1. Production: Marine product exporters still speed up importing raw material for processing and exporting.
2. Exports: Demand for tuna in the U.S. market is still high while EU market witnesses a decrease.

The specification - PAS 223 Prerequisite programmes and design requirements for food safety in the manufacture and provision of food packaging - provides a common international process for developing a prerequisite programme (PRP) for food and drink packaging safety, said the body.

By industry, for industry

The 20-page document was put together by experts from Coca-Cola and has been endorsed by a raft of industry-leading packaging and food companies such as Nestle, Tetra Pak, Kraft, Owens-Illinois, Rexam and Amcor Flexibles.

“We recognise the need for an ‘end-to-end supply chain approach’ for food safety,” said project leader Neil Marshall, global quality and food safety director at Coca-Cola. “It is vitally important that packaging risks are managed and mitigated using the same science-based approach we use for ingredients and manufacturing processes.”

The BSI said the guide would also be of interest to food safety certification bodies across the world. The Foundation for Food Safety Certification (FSSC) and Institute of Packaging Professionals/FSAP (Food Safety Alliance for Packaging) have signed off on the standard.

Areas covered

The industry-designed document is aimed at food packaging firms to ensure its management systems meet the requirements for PRPs laid out in BS EN ISO 22000.

The specification sets out the requirements for programmes across 19 areas. These include large-scale considerations such as layout and workspace, as well as utilities, waste and equipment.

Systems and conditions for contamination and migration, packaging withdrawals and bioterrorism as well as food packaging design and development are also assessed.

Requirements for design have been included in this PAS because of the potential safety hazards that can arise if the food packaging is not suitable for the intended use, said the BRI.

“By working closely with leading food, drink and packaging manufacturers, BSI has developed a set of prerequisite requirements that will help lower the risk of food safety,” said the body’s director Mike Low.

PAS 223 Prerequisite programmes and design requirements for food safety in the manufacture and provision of food packaging is available from the British Standards Institute (BSI) price ₤80 (€88)

Accordingly, seafood export turnover in the period 2011 – 2015 will reach US$6.5 billion per year. In the period of next 5 years, export value and volume increase to US$8 billion and 1,900 thousand MT per year.

Ms Tran Thi Dung, Director of the Center for Consulting and Fisheries Planning said the fisheries industry must invest in upgrading the processing plants and building the cold storages. The fisheries industry should maintain its current export rate to major markets like the U.S., Japan and EU. By 2020 the demands of these markets are estimated to increase. In the period 2011 - 2020, frozen shrimp, pangasius and cephalopod (squid, octopus) are still important items in the seafood export structure of Vietnam, accounting for 80 percent. Besides, the fisheries industry is also expanding new products. By 2015, exported tilapia production is estimated at 30,000 MT, worth US$80 million.