China overtook the Republic of Korea (RoK) to claim the position as the fourth largest importer of Vietnamese seafood in 2013, with shrimp exports accounting for over 60 percent of the total figure.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP), last year, Vietnam’s seafood exports to China totalled almost 560 million USD, up 38 percent year-on-year, of which shrimp exports increased 53 percent against 2012 to about 350 million USD.

Shrimp imports into China inched up due to its supply shortage caused by early mortality syndrome ( EMS ) and high shrimp demand for processing.

Vietnam secured third place among the world’s shrimp exporters in 2013 with a total value of 2.5 billion USD, representing a yearly rise of nearly 33 percent and accounting for 44 percent of its total aquatic export turnover.

In a recent interview granted to Vietnam News Agency, VASEP Deputy General Secretary Nguyen Hoai Nam said Vietnam is shipping aquatic products to over 150 markets.

Besides traditional partners such as the US, Japan and Europe, China and India have emerged as potential importers of Vietnam’s aquatic products.

Other promising markets in South America, the Middle East and Islamic nations will come under the association’s radar in the coming time, he added.-VNA