Vietnam shipped more than 83,000 metric tons (MT) of pangasius to global markets in May, a 46 percent rise year over year and an 8 percent increase over April 2024.

In the first four months of the year, US imports of frozen pangasius fillets climbed 29 percent.

The main markets for Vietnamese pangasius are slow and stable, which is largely being seen as a good thing after a tough 2023

“It remains to be seen whether this strength continues into the spring. Time will tell.”

Vietnam’s vannamei and black tiger shrimp exports leaped y-o-y in January, though this was more down to Tet occurring in January 2023; sources predict a tough and volatile H1 2024

Global shrimp industry and overall Chinese economy woes have left forecasters with varied opinions on how 2024 will play out

Producers are waiting on the rest of the value chain to shift stocks still left over from the pandemic — at a loss, in some cases — but there are some slight signs of recovery

“Due to the decline in market prices across all seafood items, it’s likely that only a limited number of shipments will meet or exceed the USD 250,000 threshold per container. “

“I believe that the ban on Japanese seafood is not as significant as people imagined,” Chow said. “In a couple of months, China [will] find an alternative source for the banned seafood.