The country’s shrimp exports in the first half of this year was estimated to be worth 1.03 billion USD, increasing 1.5 percent over the same period last year.

However, the Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) forecast that shrimp exports into the US would hardly improve in the third quarter.

This is due to the US Department of Commerce’s (DOC) recent preliminary decision on anti-subsidy duties on frozen shrimp imported from seven countries, including Vietnam, VASEP explained.

The final decision would be issued in mid-August, according to VASEP, saying that it was possible Vietnamese shrimp would be hit by two taxes on the US market: anti-subsidy duty and anti-dumping duty.

Exports of shrimp into Japan were expected to increase by just 1-3 percent in the second and third quarters over the same periods last year.

The association said the devaluation of the yen against the US dollar caused difficulties for those exporting shrimp to Japan and the check of the Ethoxyquin level in shrimp continued to hinder shrimp exports to the market.

In European markets, shrimp exports would remain gloomy in the third quarter as the EU economy struggled.

Vietnam earned about 2.25 billion USD from shrimp exports in 2012, 6.3 percent lower than 2011. This year’s figure was expected to reach 2.4 billion USD.-VNA