Vietnam spends nearly US$1.35 billion importing seafood
VOV.VN - Vietnam spent roughly US$1.35 billion importing seafood products during the eight months of the year, an increase of 17.3% compared to the same period from last year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
Of the figure, the country mainly imported aquatic products from India, with turnover reaching a sum of US$228.19 million, representing an annual rise of 41.3% and accounting for 17% of the country’s total seafood import turnover.
August alone saw the import turnover of seafood of all types endure a decline of 15% to roughly US$147.51 million over the previous month, a drop of 2.6% compared to August last year.
The top five largest suppliers of seafood to the Vietnamese market throughout the reviewed period include India, Norway, Southeast Asia, China, and Japan.
Despite imports from the Norwegian market in August experiencing a decline, the import turnover during the eight-month period enjoyed an increase of 16.6% to US$156.67 million against the same period from last year, representing 11.7% of the total turnover.
Furthermore, seafood imports from the Southeast Asian market also rose by 19.4% to US$144.86 million compared to the same period last year, thereby accounting for 10.8% of the total turnover.
Meanwhile, although imports from the Chinese market in August continued to decrease, import turnover during the reviewed period increased sharply by 35% to US$115.25 million on-year, accounting for 8.6% of the country’s total seafood import turnover.
Along with these markets, the nation also imported aquatic products from Indonesia, Taiwan (China), the Republic of Korea, Russia, Chile, and the United States.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) attributed the increase in seafood imports to a shortage of raw materials occurring in terms of production and processing activities.
