The seafood export sector’s stunning performance over the months pushed Vietnam’s total seafood export value during the first eight months of this year to $2.8 billion, up 33 percent compared to 2021, VASEP said in a recent report.

Such major year-on-year growth of seafood exports is attributed to the fact that during the same period last year, most exporters had cut down their capacities or suspended operations due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, VASEP commented.

Currently, seafood accounts for 37 percent of the country’s total export turnover from aquaculture, the association added.

Of Vietnam’s total seafood exports between January and August, fish categorized as ‘other marine fish’ accounted for 48 percent, tuna 26 percent, squid and octopus seven percent, crabs and other crustaceans five percent, bivalve mollusks four percent, and other mollusks making up the remainder.

Tuna registered the highest growth in export value from the same period last year at 55 percent, or $730 million.

Tuna was followed by crabs and other crustaceans with an on-year increase of 37 percent while squid and octopus rose 36 percent, other marine fish increased 23 percent, and bivalve mollusks went up 13 percent.

Other mollusks are the only category that saw a decline in export turnover, according to VASEP.

Vietnam’s seafood processors and exporters are mainly concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City and Khanh Hoa, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, and Long An Provinces, the association said.

“Along with the robust recovery of the national economy from the pandemic, seafood exporters have resumed their operations, continuously obtained purchase orders, and saw very high turnover growth in August,” a deputy head of the sales department of a seafood company in the Mekong Delta’s Can Tho City told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

However, the ongoing Russia – Ukraine military conflict has exposed exporters to many difficulties, including higher exploitation and transport costs, and lack of materials for export, the deputy head added.