After a continuous decline in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, Vietnam's clam exports to the EU market in the second quarter of 2024 tend to increase.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in the first 5 months of the year, Vietnam exported 17.7 million USD of shellfish, an increase of 10.6% compared to the previous month. By the end of May 2024, Vietnam's shellfish exports reached 63.7 million USD, continuing to increase compared to the same period in 2023. Exports of main product groups such as clams, oysters, snails and scallops all increased over the same period.

Specifically, in the first 5 months of the year, clams were the product with the largest export turnover among shellfish products with 35 million USD, an increase of 9% over the same period. Other items such as snails and oysters reached 10 and 7 million USD, up 18% and 31% respectively. Notably, scallops are the product with the highest growth rate of up to 42%, reaching 9 million USD.

In recent years, clams are gradually becoming an important livelihood for coastal people, especially in the Mekong Delta region, which is considered the largest "clam barn" in the country. Many clam products are exported such as brown clams, white clams, and silk clams in boiled, steamed, and whole forms.

The value of clam exports to the EU in April and May increased continuously at 19% over the same period. Cumulatively for the first 5 months of 2024, the export value to this market increased by 5% over the same period in 2023, reaching nearly 26 million USD, but still 25% lower than the same period in 2022.

Vietnam exports mainly frozen boiled clams to EU countries, accounting for 69% of total export value, the rest is frozen clam meat. Spain, Italy and Portugal are the three largest import markets for Vietnam's clams, accounting for 90% of the total value of clam exports to this market block. Compared to the first 5 months of 2023, exports to Spain and Italy increased, while exports to Portugal decreased. Notably among EU countries, Spain is the market with a tendency to continuously increase clam imports in the first 5 months of 2024. Exports to this market in the first 5 months of the year reached more than 10 million USD, up 29% over the same period in 2023.

There are currently more than 20 businesses participating in exporting clams to the EU market. Among them, HASUVIMEX, Lenger Seafoods Vietnam and Minh Dang Co., Ltd are the three enterprises that export the most clams to this market, accounting for 58% of the country's total clam exports in the first 5 months of this year.

According to businesses, demand for molluscs in the EU market is tending to recover after inflation. In addition, the fact that Ben Tre clams continue to be MSC certified will be an opportunity for Vietnam to increase exports to this market.

Vietnam has over 41,500 hectares of mollusk farming (mainly bivalve molluscs) with an output of about 265,000 tons/year, of which clams reach 179,000 tons/year. The mollusk industry value chain is creating jobs for about 200,000 workers.

Source: Cong Thuong Newspaper