(seafood.vasep.com.vn)
After a continuous decline in export value in 2015, as of mid-Mar 2016, Vietnam pangasius export to Brazil reached US$17.2 million, up 761.5% from the same period last year.
From May to July 2015, export value of pangasius to the market rose by 7.3-23.6% over the same period in 2014. However, sales in the 8 rest months of 2015 posted a deep dive.
According to the ITC, in 2015, the total import value of frozen seafood into Brazil registered a year-on-year slump of 23%. In particular, chilled/fresh/frozen finfish fillets (HS code 0304) dropped by 25% in value and 22% in volume; fresh and whole round fish (HS code 0302) downed 13% in value and 4% in volume; smoked fish and fishmeal (HS code 0305) fell 27% in value and 30% in volume compared to 2014.
Fresh/chilled/frozen fillets (HS code 0304) made up the largest share in the total import value of fresh/chilled/frozen seafood into Brazil. Followed by fish with HS code 0302 and HS code 0305.
In 2015, the import value of whitefish products into the market decreased. In which, imports of frozen pangasius and catfish fillets fell by 37%; frozen hake fillets dropped 18.6%; frozen Alaska pollock fillets down 4.2%; and frozen cod down 32.9% over the same period of 2014.
In the first two months of 2016, China and Vietnam were the largest suppliers for whitefish to Brazil. China increased supplying frozen Alaska pollock fillets; frozen hake fillets; and frozen cod to Brazilian market to compete with Vietnam pangasius.
In 2015, strength of the dollar made imports into Brazil decline sharply. The exchange rate between US dollar and Brazilian Real (BRL) at the end of 2015 was 4 BRL to 1 USD. Thus, exchange rate fluctuations affected not only Vietnam’s pangasius exports but also Chinese whitefish sales into this market. However, Brazilian economy and middle-class is increasingly growing, demands for these products go up. Thanks to that, in Dec 2015 and Jan-Mar 2016, Vietnam pangasius export to Brazil soared.
