Vietnam’s shark catfish exports to US up 4.4% in July

Vietnam’s shark catfish exports to the United States rose by 4.4% in July but declined by 20.2% to US$133.7 million during the January-July period, according to VASEP, a body representing seafood producers and exporters in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s shark catfish exports to the US reached US$133.7 million in the first seven months of 2020.
Vietnam’s shark catfish exports to the US reached US$133.7 million in the first seven months of 2020.

Over the past three years, China, the US and the EU have been the markets with the greatest potential for Vietnamese catfish. As a result, any developments from these markets can all affect the sentiment of local exporters.

Catfish exports to the US declined by 55.3% in January but recovered in the following two months to grow by 67% and 26.3%, respectively.

However, exports then fell for three consecutive months of the second quarter, down by 20.7%, 52.1% and 31.5%, respectively, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of June 2020, at least 16 US states suspended or cancelled their re-opening plans, which strongly affected Vietnam’s catfish exports to the world’s largest economy.