Vietnam exported 7,400 tonnes of molluscs in January, earning over 27.4 million USD, according to the General Department of Customs.
The European Union (EU) registered as the country’s largest importer of molluscs in the month. The market imported nearly 2,600 tonnes, accounting for nearly 28.4 percent of the country’s total mollusc export volume.
Besides the EU, Japan , China , Hong Kong and ASEAN countries are also major export markets for Vietnamese molluscs. Exports to Japan alone earned about nearly 4.5 million USD for the country in January.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) has predicted that the country’s aquatic exports, including mollusc products, this year would increase thanks to the reduction of import taxes on seafood in several large markets, the recovery of many economies in the world and the effect of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement.
The country’s seafood exports to Japan are expected to be larger than last year as the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) took effect last October. Under the agreement, 64 out of 330 Vietnam ’s seafood export items to Japan now enjoy import tax reductions.
Apart from Japan , Vietnam ’s seafood enterprises will reportedly boost their exports to China , Hong Kong and ASEAN countries this year./.