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| Processing tuna products for export. (Photo: VNA) |
In April alone, the country’s aquatic product exports reached 770 million USD, a year-on-year rise of 4%. Exports of tuna, tra fish, crab, and shell mollusks all recorded positive growth compared to the same period last year.
Shrimp exports in April earned 285 million USD – the highest value since early this year. The shrimp industry brought in 971 million USD in revenue in the last four months, 6% higher than that in the same period of 2023.
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| A shrimp processing line for export at a factory of Minh Phu Seafood Group. (Photo: VNA) |
Meanwhile, tra fish export earnings in the first four months totalled 579 million USD, up nearly 2% year-on-year.
The number of tra fish orders from the US market has bounced back after Vietnamese tra fish businesses participated in the Seafood Expo North America in March and the Seafood Expo Global in Spain in late April.
Notably, tuna exports in April surged by 28% to 86 million USD, lifting the total export value of the product in the last four months to 301 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 22% compared to the same period last year.
However, the export value of squid and octopus; and mollusks with shells decreased by 4% and 2%, respectively, to 182 million USD and 43 million USD in the January – April period.
By April, crab exports had maintained an impressive growth of 101%, with China being the main market.
Eight bidders win May 14 gold auction
Eight bidders bought a total of 8,100 taels of SJC-branded gold bullion out of the 16,800 that the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) offered for sale at the auction held on May 14 morning, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| The auction aims at ensuring stable, transparent and effective operation of the domestic gold market. (Photo: VNA) |
Eight bidders bought a total of 8,100 taels of SJC-branded gold bullion out of the 16,800 that the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) offered for sale at the auction held on May 14 morning.
The central bank said that the highest winning price was 87.73 million VND (over 3,400 USD) and the lowest, 87.72 million VND per tael.
Earlier, it announced the fifth auction of SJC gold bullions, with bidding condition changes compared to the latest session.
Each bid requires a 10% deposit on the total order, with the reference price for calculating the deposit value being 88 million VND per tael.
The minimum bidding volume of the auction was five lots, equivalent to 500 taels, down by 200 taels compared to the most recent session on May 8. In addition, the maximum bidding volume per member was allowed to increase significantly from 20 to 40 lots.
Each bidding member was only permitted to register one minimum price equal to or higher than the floor price announced by the central bank.
According to the central bank, the auction aims at ensuring stable, transparent and effective operation of the domestic gold market. It has warned locals to stay prudent when trading gold amidst the world’s volatile market.
HCM City to Con Dao by high-speed boat takes over 4 hours
On May 13, the Phu Quoc High-speed Boat Joint Stock Company announced the operation of a high-speed boat from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao, the Thang Long, with a capacity of 1,017 passengers.
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| HCM City to Con Dao by high-speed boat takes over 4 hours |
The high-speed boat from HCM City to Con Dao helps connect trade and develop tourism between the southern city and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.
It has a top speed of 35 nautical miles (more than 60 km) per hour and it takes four hours to travel between HCMC and Con Dao, a tourist island off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
The company has coordinated with the Ministry of National Defense to build ships for this high-speed line, with international standards and modern equipment.
The high-speed boat from HCM City to Con Dao is a new passenger transport route by water, giving people more options for traveling to and from Con Dao.
The vessel makes three trips a week every other day. It leaves HCMC’s Hiep Phuoc Port at 7 a.m. and Con Dao’s Ben Dam Port at 1 p.m. Tickets cost VND615,000 - 1.1 million (24.16-43.22 USD) depending on ticket class and departure time.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the company will arrange shuttle buses to serve passengers from September 23 park to Saigon-Hiep Phuoc Port. The first boat operates from May 15.
The Phu Quoc High-speed Boat Joint Stock Company currently owns a fleet of 11 boats with capacity of from 230 to 1,017 passengers, operating to Vietnamese islands such as Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Phu Quy and Ly Son, with service planned to the islands of Bach Long Vy and Cu Lao Cham in the near future.
Vietnamese rice exports skyrocket at high-end markets
Vietnam exported nearly 46,000 tonnes of rice to the EU market worth US$41.4 million during the first quarter of the year, representing an increase of nearly 118% against the same period from last year, VOV News quoted statistics by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
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| Photo for illustration. (Source: VOV) |
Most notably, rice exports to the French market saw a sharp rise with 18,200 tonnes worth US$19.1 million, representing a 180-fold rise on-year.
Along with traditional markets, Vietnamese rice exports to high-end markets in the reviewed period also witnessed three-digit growth.
The market share of Vietnamese rice in the EU rose from 1% in previous years to 3.1% in 2024. According to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the EU has only granted a 0% tariff quota of 80,000 tonnes of rice.
However, during the three-month period, Vietnam exported up to 46,000 tonnes, duly accounting for more than 50%, thereby demonstrating the great potential of Vietnamese rice in the EU market.
Furthermore, the nation exported 135,300 tonnes of rice to the American market, grossing US$94.5 million and representing a dramatic rise of 299% against the same period from last year.
Compared to other rice exporters such as India or Thailand, the country has enjoyed competitive advantages in the EU and American markets thanks to the signing of free trade agreements such as EVFTA, the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
In line with this, the country exported 2.1 million tonnes of rice worth US$1.4 billion in the first quarter of the year, up 12% in volume and 40% in value compared to the same period from last year./.