Last year, Vietnam spent about $65 million importing Canadian seafood, doubling by 2021, of which the country’s lobster and snow crab were the most popular among consumers.

Steve Craig, Minister of Fisheries and Fisheries of Nova Scotia (Canada), said last year, bilateral trade between the two countries reached 14 billion USD. In particular, Vietnam is Canada’s largest partner in Southeast Asia.

According to Steve Craig, although Vietnam is the world’s fourth largest seafood exporter with a turnover of 11 billion USD, the domestic market is still a fertile ground for Canadian goods to enter. Last year, Vietnam led the consumption of Canadian seafood in Southeast Asia with a total output of 90 million Canadian dollars (about 65 million dollars), doubling in 2021. Mr. Steve said that Vietnamese people consume seafood among the top in the world with an average amount of 37 kg per person per year.

Among the Canadian seafood products entering Vietnam, lobster, snow crab, and heliotrope are popular products by consumers and always grow at 2-3 digits.

Mr. Tran Van Truong, CEO of Royal Seafood chain – the official importer of Canadian seafood in large quantities – said that the reason why this country’s seafood is popular in Vietnam is because the price is always stable. In addition, this is imported natural seafood, but Canadian products are always cheaper than domestic and other countries by 5-20%, sometimes up to 40%.

Currently, Canadian lobsters over 1 kg are priced at 1.4 million VND, while the type of 2 lobsters per kg is 1.2 million VND. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s cotton lobster costs up to 2 million VND, while Australian products are 2.4 million VND. Similarly, cod, oysters, and heliotrope from this country are also more attractive compared to other countries.

Mr. Steve Craig said that Vietnam is a very potential market. While the world economy is slipping, the export of goods to Vietnam is still growing well. According to statistics, compared to 2020, Canadian seafood exports to Vietnam have grown three times. Currently, there are about 50-60 Vietnamese enterprises directly importing goods from Canada. The number of stores and branches selling this country’s seafood in Vietnam is increasing rapidly.

In the near future, to further develop trade between the two countries, Mr. Steve Craig said he would create favorable conditions for Vietnamese seafood products to penetrate the Canadian market.

“This year is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and Vietnam, and also marks the 5th anniversary of the implementation of the CPTPP, we will create favorable conditions for businesses of the two countries to cooperate and connect investment effectively”, said Steve Craig.

Source: VnExpress