The Vietnam Customs Authority has reported seafood exports totaling approximately $862.0 million. This represents a decrease of 13.7% compared to exports in August 2022 but is a notable increase of 38.2% when compared to the same period last year. Most categories of seafood exports have shown growth in the double to triple digits.
In September, China emerged as the largest buyer of Vietnam origin seafood, with expenditures of around $146.3 million, marking a substantial increase of 117.6% compared to the same period last year and surpassing the United States as Vietnam’s top customer for the month. Simultaneously, exports to Japan reached $142 million, which is over 90% higher than figures from the same period in 2021.
However, seafood exports to the United States declined by 9.6% in September. Up to September, Vietnam had earned $8.49 billion from seafood exports, reflecting a 37.3% increase compared to the same period in 2021.
Despite the recent slowdown in seafood exports to the U.S. over the past few months, the United States remains the largest customer for Vietnamese fish and shrimp in the first three quarters of 2022. The U.S. purchased approximately $1.77 billion worth of Vietnamese seafood, an increase of 21.7% compared to the same period last year. Japan ranked as the second-largest importer, accounting for nearly $1.27 billion worth of imports, a 32.8% increase, while China secured the third position with imports valued at USD 1.21 billion, marking an 85% growth.
Experts predict that in the final quarter of the year, exports will likely maintain a growth rate of over 15% compared to the same period last year. Exports to China, Japan, and Korea are expected to offset the decline in exports to the U.S.
Trương Đình Hòe, the General Secretary of VASEP (Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers), anticipates that China will open its market by the end of the year after implementing the Zero-COVID policy, leading to stable growth in exportation in 2023.
