COVID-19 impact causes tra fish exports to China to plummet

Tra (pangasius) fish exports to China since the beginning of the year have suffered a decline of 22.6% to US$271 million against the same period last year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

This sharp fall in the export of tra fish to the Chinese market is attributable to the negative impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, in addition to an abundance of supply sources of white-flesh fish in the northern neighbour.

The total value of pangasius exports to this market during the course of the year is anticipated not to see robust growth in comparison to last year.

Despite local pangasius exporters seeking ways to increase tra fish exports to Chinese market following China’s recent imposition of a blockade due to COVID-19, the export volume has experienced a slight increase.

During the opening eight months of the year, key tra fish products to the market include frozen pangasius fillets, frozen pangasius stomachs, frozen whole pangasius, and tra fillet. 

At present, approximately 120 Vietnamese enterprises are exporting tra fish products to China, making the northern neighbour the largest buyer of Vietnamese tra fish, accounting for roughly 30% of total export turnover.