Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam’s tra fish exports to Southeast Asian countrieswere worth 87.3 million USD in the first five months of the year, ayear-on-year increase of 14.6 percent, according to the Vietnam Association ofSeafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Thailand was the largest market, with shipments rising by 9.2 percentyear-on-year to 32.5 million USD.

Thailand’s fisheries imports have risen sharply this year, especially of white-meatfish like tra.

The Philippines has emerged as one of the biggest importers, with purchasesrising steadily for months, VASEP said. Tra exports to this market were worth 19million USD, a 25 percent increase from the same period last year.

Vietnam is the only supplier of white fish to the Philippines.

Last year, Vietnam organised for the first time a festival on rice andpangasius – as tra is also known in the Philippines, helping popularise itspangasius.

VASEP said exports of tra to Malaysia are growing at the fastest rate inSoutheast Asia.

In the first five months, pangasius exports to Malaysia were worth 18.8 millionUSD, an increase of 47.3 percent from the same period last year, it said,explaining that the market has huge potential.

Malaysia also imports white meat fish from China, the US, the UK, France, andothers, but Vietnam is the largest supplier.

According to many businesses, Southeast Asia is a market that needs to be paidfocus on besides traditional markets such as the US, the EU, China, Japan, and theRepublic of Korea.

The country’s overall tra exports in the first five months were worth 690million USD, slightly less than in the same period last year, with China, theUS and EU accounting for 53 percent, VASEP said.

Exports to the US are down due to anti-dumping duties and other trade barrierswhile China’s changing import policies have affected shipments to that country.

However, exports to the EU increased for the first time in a long time, risingby 31.5 percent to 105.2 million USD.

Truong Dinh Hoe, VASEP general secretary, attributed the increase tobusinesses’ efforts to ensure quality and promote their products. 

According to the association, the tra export target for this year is 2.4billion USD, a 12 percent increase from last year.

Exports to Japan, the US and China are showing signals of recovery, whileexports to the EU are expected to keep increasing thanks to the EU-Vietnam FreeTrade Agreement.

In the event, it would not be difficult to achieve the export target this year,he said.-VNA