|
Seafood exporters unable to net satisfactory export business
Though it should be its busiest period Vietnamese seafood exports are still struggling.
Tran Van Hai, Director of Hung Ca Company in Dong Thap province, says that import countries are not placing large orders as might be expected at the year end.
“We are exporting 50 containers of tra fish every month, just a half of the last year’s same period,” Hai said
Other tra exporters also said that they are just fulfilling old orders. “Most of markets still have not ‘revived’. Clients now do not store goods in big quantities any more,” said Truong Thi Le Khanh, Director of Vinh Hoan Company.
Director of Thuan Phuoc Company in Da Nang City Tran Van Linh also said that the demand from the EU, US and Middle East has dropped dramatically. However, he said that his company can still export seafood to Japan, the market which still sees high growth rate, partially thanks to the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.
As the export market has narrowed and export prices decreased, the price of tra fish for processing is low at 15,000 dong per kilo meaning little or no profit. A kilo of tra filet is selling at $2.7 to Europe, the lowest price level in many years.
As for shrimp exports, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Tran Thien Hai forecasts shrimp exports would bring some $2.6 billion in total export revenue, a decrease of 20 percent from 2008. This means the total seafood export revenue would decrease by $300 million this year from $4.5 billion in 2008.
Seafood exporters have been warned they will face many other difficulties in the last months of the year.
The Russian market has been open to Vietnam since March 2009. However, according to VASEP, it is not easy to export products to the market. To date, only 39 Vietnamese enterprises have been recognised as meeting Russian requirements.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese seafood exporters are set for a new barrier from the EU. Under the new EC regulations, from January 1, 2010, all seafood exports to the EU market must show a certificate on the legitimacy plus documents on the origin of the products to be able to enter the market.
vietnamnet, sgtt
|
