Vietnam’s export of aquatic products maintained a two-digit growth in the first half of 2018 and is forecast to continue growing strongly in the rest of the year despite plunging shrimp prices across the world. Seafood exports reached a value of nearly 4 billion USD during the period, up over 12 percent year-on-year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors. In June, basa fish brought home over 200 million USD, up nearly 33 percent annually. Apart from those to the EU, basa fish exports to other markets remain optimistic, particularly in China and the US. Thanks to close quality control by the US Department of Agriculture, US-based consumers and rivals have no reasons to boycott Vietnamese basa fish. Moreover, positive signs from other markets, such as in China, also raised basa fish prices considerably. Statistics showed that shrimp exports went up 7.6 percent year-on-year to top 1.6 billion USD in the year’s first half.-VNA