European consumers favour clam and scallops from Vietnam

Vietnam’s bivalve mollusk exports to the EU market enjoyed an increase of 35 per cent during the third quarter of 2019, according to statistics released by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Photo: VNA

The EU accounted for 66 per cent of the country’s total export value of bivalve mollusks, with clam exports making up 35 per cent of the value.

80 per cent of the export value of this product to the EU focuses on the three markets inlcuding Portugal, Spain, and Italy. During the third quarter, exports to these markets rose sharply by 68 per cent, 13 per cent, and 45 per cent, respectively.

Currently, there are approximately 90 domestic companies that export bivalve mollusks to the European market whilst Portugal, Spain, and Italy also represent the three largest consumers of Vietnamese clams and scallops in Europe.

The price of frozen cooked brown clams being exported to Portugal during the first nine months of the year varied from US$1.6 to US$1.75 per kilo, while these products were sold at between US$1.45 and US$1.85 per kilo in Spain.

Furthermore, cooked white clams ranged in cost from between US$1.2 to US$1.55 per kilo, while the price of scallops stood at roughly US$11 USD per kilo in Denmark.

According to the VASEP, the demand for mussels, scallops, and clam products within the EU market has enjoyed a remarkable rise, while simultaneously the demand for oysters has suffered a significant decrease.