The domestic catfish price has fallen to a 2-year low, while Vietnam’s shrimp now has to compete fiercely in prices with rivals, including Thailand and India.

Vietnam’s export of aquatic products in July showed positive signs with an increase of 9 per cent year-on-year, particularly with exports of shrimp and other products rising, except for pangasius.

Catfish exports have been unsatisfactory recently. Sales to China and the US have been decreasing since the beginning of the year.

Prices of tra fish have dropped to the lowest level in 10 years due to export difficulties, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Agricultural Market Development and Processing Department.

The US, one of Vietnam’s four top seafood export markets, represented 53.5 percent of Vietnam’s total seafood export value in the first three months of the year.

The catfish consumption level from the two biggest markets, China and the US, unexpectedly fell in Q1.

Vietnam hopes its catfish exports to the US will enjoy a zero tax rate when the US announces the results of the POR14, slated for April 20.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has been advised to increase  catfish output to force prices down, to improve competitiveness over other countries. However, this solution has stirred controversy.

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s catfish farmers have been warned of difficulties ahead as the country is no longer the only big catfish exporter.

Many seafood companies’ products, which can satisfy high standards to enter the US, EU and Japan, cannot be sold in the domestic market because of technical barriers.

VietNamNet Bridge - Over the last 20 years, catfish has been the exclusive product of Vietnam. But other countries are stepping up catfish production, becoming rivals for Vietnam.

Vietnam’s catfish has run into trouble in several EU countries because of misleading information in the media. 

Both catfish and shrimp are meeting difficulties in exports because of the shrinking market. However, while catfish farmers still can make a profit, farmers of white-legged shrimp cannot.

VietNamNet Bridge - Twenty years ago, Vietnam succeeded in having shark catfish (including tra – or Pangasius hypophthalmus and basa, or Pangasius bocourti) reproduced artificially. 

Catfish exports to China have been increasing rapidly, but Vietnam fears it may lose the US market.

Vietnam’s catfish (pangasius) export turnover in 2017 was expected to reach $1.8 billion, an increase of 4 percent over the year before, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). 

The US has more than 10 times imposed anti-dumping duties on Vietnam’s catfish exports. If it continues installing new barriers, Vietnam may need to find new markets for the exports, experts say.

VietNamNet Bridge - A high number of consignments to the US have been refused this year because Vietnamese exporters were unaware of new regulations set by the US.

VietNamNet Bridge - Analysts say that Vietnamese catfish exporters are willing to ‘fight to the death’, but they refuse to band together to discuss solutions to settle common problems.

More than 1,000 Vietnamese companies have been removed from the list of companies allowed to export products to the US for failing to extend their registration.