VASEP statistics showed that Viet Nam seafood export value in 2009 came in at US$4.25 billion, a decrease of 5.7 percent compared with 2008.

EU remained the largest destination of Vietnamese seafood with US$1.096 billion, accounting for 25.8 percent of total seafood export value. Japan came second with US$758 million, down 8.5 percent against 2008, followed by the U.S. US$713.3 million, down 4.2 percent.

Seafood exports to South Korea and ASEAN increased by 2.3 percent and 6.9 percent respectively. It is noted that seafood exports to China exceeded US$200 million, an increase of 28.4 percent, accounting for 4.7 percent of total seafood export value.

Russia resumed importing seafood from Viet Nam since May 2009, and by the end of December 2009, seafood exports to Russia amounted to 47,500MT, worth US$84.6 million, down 62.1 percent in volume and 61.2 percent in value compared with the year earlier.

In 2009, shrimp export value reached US$1.675 billion, up 3 percent year-on-year, while Pangasius exports netted US$1.34 billion, down 7.6 percent. Pangasius share in export product structure also reduced to 31.6 percent from 32.2 percent.

Tuna and cephalopods exports were seriously hit by a drop in wild caught landings, with tuna exports down 4.1 percent, cephalopods exports down 13.8 percent. (VietfishNews)