
Tra fish export to the UAE increased impressively in January by 2.5times to reach 4 million USD before a slowdown of 31% in February.
In March, Vietnam exported tra fishto this market worth more than 2 million USD.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said the UAE mainlyexported frozen fillets from Vietnam, accounting for around 93% of thecountry’s tra fish export to this market.
The UAE is a net importer of seafood products and around 90% of all foodconsumed in the UAE is imported.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO),the UAE consumes around 220,000 tonnes of seafood products each year with a percapita consumption volume of 28.6 kilos, higher than the global average.
The association said that there is significant room to expand tra fish export tothe UAE, given this market’s rising income and rapid urbanisation. The UAECentral Bank has lifted its forecast for the UAE economic growth rate to 5.7%from 4.3%.
Each year, Vietnam exports about 22,000-24,000 tonnes of seafood products tothe UAE, worth around 50-70 million USD.
Frozen tra fishfillet is the most popular export product of Vietnam to the UAE.
Vietnam’s tra fish export was estimated at 1.8 billion USD in 2023and expected to reach 2 billion USD this year./.