Pangasius exports to the US fall sharply

Due to the sharp decrease in export turnover, the US, which was forecast as the leading importer of Vietnam's Pangasius, has moved down to rank third.

Processing pangasius for export

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers,before the US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced the official conclusion of the 14th period of review (POR 14) for the period from 1 August 2016 to 31 July 2017 for Vietnamese pangasius products exported to the US market, Pangasius exports to this market decreased. Thus, for the first time in three years, the value of pangasius export to China - Hong Kong and the US decreased compared to 2018.

By the end of March 2019, the total value of pangasius export reached US$472.2 million, up 7.8% compared to 2018. However, during this time, this positive growth was achieved by the increase in the EU, ASEAN, Mexico and some other single markets.

In March 2019, the value of pangasius export to China - Hong Kong reached US$39.47 million, down 12.9% compared to 2018 . In the first three months of this year, Pangasius exports to this market reached US$99.3 million, down 1.8% compared to 2018.

For the US market, in February and March 2019, the export value to this market decreased by 22.8% and 44.4%, respectively. The export value reached US$71.16 million, down 5% compared to 2018, accounting for 15.1% of total exports in the first quarter of 2019.

In the first quarter, Pangasius exports to the EU were positive. As a result, export value to the EU reached US$72.88 million, up 42.4% compared to 2018.

The export value to the four largest single markets in the bloc –the Netherlands, Britain, Germany and Belgium, increased 29.2%; 53%; 66.6% and 86.9%, respectively, compared to the first three months of 2018. This is a high increase in recent years and is a positive signal for Vietnamese pangasius exporters to this market.

In the first quarter of 2019, Pangasius exports to ASEAN, in which the three largest markets are Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, grew well. By the end of March 2019, Pangasius exports to ASEAN reached US$55.17 million, up 18% compared to 2018.

The value of Pangasiusexports toBrazil, Colombia and the UAE in the first three months of 2019decreased by 17.2%; 36.5% and 4.9%, respectively, compared to 2018.

It is expected that in April 2019, the US will announce the final results of the POR 14 for Vietnamese pangasius products exported to the US. This result is expected to have a significant impact on the pangasius export in the future.