Pangasius exported to the US increased sharply

In March this year, pangasius fillets imported into the US increased sharply, mainly from Vietnam.

Pangasius fillets exported to the US increased sharply. Photo: TL.

According to the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the country imported 9,524 tons of frozen pangasius fillets in March 2021, worth US$ 25.4 million.

These frozen pangasius fillets increased by 226 percent in volume, 239 percent in value than last year, and were mainly from Vietnam.

The export value of pangasius to the US in the first 3 months of 2021 reached US$ 71.6 million, up 16 percent over the same period last year and accounting for 20.81 percent of the total export value, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

In which, the March’s increase was the strongest. Pangasius exported to the US in this month increased by 23.8 percent.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said that the US’s catfish sector had faced difficulties in recent years. The main reason is the decrease in fishing area and production.

The amount of fish stocks in the US has decreased significantly since the beginning of 2021. The country has to import pangasius to compensate for this decrease. VASEP forecasts that the US pangasius import demand will continue to increase in the next few months.

This increase started at the end of 2020 after the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) eased the product labeling rules, including pangasius.

In recent years, China, the US, and the EU are the three largest markets of Vietnam's pangasius export sector.