Seafood exports to hit US$6.7 billion this year
Earnings from seafood exports in the last five months of this year will likely reach US$3.1-3.3 billion, raising the total export turnover for the whole year to US$6.5-6.7 billion.
The General Department of Fisheries says total seafood output in the past 7 months is estimated at more than 3 million tones, an increase of 5.4 percent against the same period last year.
Ocean tuna fishing output remained high with Binh Dinh province catching 5,635 tonnes; Phu Yen, 6,000 tonnes and Khanh Hoa, 1,000 tonnes.
The US is a leading importer of Vietnamese seafood products, accounting for 19.5 percent of total market shares, followed by Japan (17.6 percent) and the Republic of Korea (8.3 percent).
However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade warns that seafood exports will face strict requirements in terms of food hygiene and safety, such as Japan’s regulations on preservative substances, such as ethoxyquin, trifluranlin and antobio.