Vietnam's seafood export revenue is expected to hit 6.73 billion U.S. dollars in 2013, up 10.6 percent year-on-year, said Vietnam's General Statistics Office on Monday.
In December alone, the country earned 650 million U.S. dollars from selling seafood to overseas markets, presenting an increase of 32.06 percent year-on-year, according to the office.
Statistics by Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) showed that in 2013, the country's seafood was sold to 156 countries and regions. VASEP added that major export markets of Vietnamese seafood include the United States, European Union and Japan, accounting for 85 percent of the country's seafood export turnover.
The United States remained the largest importer of Vietnam's seafood in 2013 with the total revenue of 1.75 billion U.S. dollars, up 6.7 percent year-on-year, said the statistics office.
Truong Dinh Hoe, general secretary of VASEP told Vietnam Economic Times on Monday that the country plans to export 2 billion U.S. dollars seafood to the U.S. market in coming years. In order to realize that set target, the sector needs to receive support from state organizations, especially legal assistance from Vietnam's commercial offices in the United States' antidumping lawsuits against Vietnamese exported shrimp and catfish or other trade barriers, said Hoe.
In 2014-2015 period, Vietnamese businesses are expanding export opportunities to other potential markets including China and China' s Hong Kong. In 2013, the country's total export revenue to the two above-mentioned markets reached 650 million U.S. dollars, up 55 percent over 2012, Hoe added.
