Each year Americans consume about 580-600 thousands tons of shrimp and kinds, of which 90% of shrimp consumed are imported, about 8% of shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico and a small 2% coming from inland areas to exploit other .
The explosion of oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon on 04/20/2010 was causing great damage to the fishing of shrimp and oysters, two kinds of fish caught by the U.S. government in this area. By June 2010, 32% of the area fishing waters in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp was banned by the authorities concerned the oil spread affecting the sanitary quality of shrimp caught.
The ban led to supply shrimp fishing in the Gulf of significant losses, pushing prices up. By early June 2010, prices of all kinds of shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico has increased from 40-45% in January compared with the time and about 30% over time in April, when oil spills occur.
The increase in price despite a very strong but it is worth mentioning, in late 2009 - early 2010, the price of shrimp fishing in the Gulf are in the lowest interval within a year. Two important reason leading to the reduced price of shrimp catch is affected by economic crisis and strong competition from imported shrimp found that American consumers are increasingly popular. With the proportion of occupied not more, about 8% of total U.S. shrimp consumers, price increases can tell from the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishing increased continuously from early 2010 until now from the main reason is the price of shrimp has been down low, are on the rebound and was fueled by oil spill events on the Gulf of Mexico. Compared to the price gulf shrimp in the first half of 2009, half the price of shrimp in 2010 only higher about 10-15%.
Due to shortage of supply from the Gulf of Mexico shrimp, buyers are looking for alternative sources of products from the west coast of Mexico. Due to increased demand, the price of shrimp from the western coast of Mexico has also increased. Compared with before the oil spill occurred, to May 6 / 2010, from the west coast of Mexico shrimp prices increase by 15-20%, but compared with the average price six months of 2009, the average price 6 months beginning in 2010 virtually unchanged.
U.S. shrimp imports in 2010 the first months
The first four months of 2010, U.S. shrimp imports reached 147.9 thousand tons, the value reached 1.03 billion USD, down 4% in volume and 2.5% in value over the same period in 2009. Since oil spills occur, along with the signal of economic recovery and falling supply, prices of shrimp imported into the U.S. market has increased by around 50-10%.
U.S. shrimp imports from Thailand, the largest market share in imports of goods, up 16.4% in volume and 15.5% in value. Meanwhile, U.S. shrimp imports from Vietnam 3.3% decrease in volume, up 2.3% in value. Although the pressure off the effects of the economic crisis but Thai shrimp export prices tend to be more stable price of shrimp in Vietnam and the recovery stronger than Vietnam shrimp prices in the months 2010.Compare prices lobster shell, except for tail processing - have found relatively similar rates for shrimp caught from the Gulf of Mexico - in Thailand and Vietnam to the U.S. five months in 2010, along with an increase of and overall export value, can see that the Thais utilize the period of economic recovery and low shrimp prices effects from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill better than the Vietnamese.
Opportunities for Vietnam shrimp after oil spills?
Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is considered the most severe consequences to date and time troubleshooting has not yet been determined. Therefore, the effects on catches of shrimp caught in Monday lasted from August to December every year difficult to assess accurately. However, due to the effects of oil spills are inevitable, seafood imports to offset the shortage of domestic supply will increase.
To seize the opportunity to take over this part, the exporters should note two issues. First, because the psychological impact consumers found that shrimp caught from the Gulf does not guarantee food safety, consumers become more sensitive to these problems and more highly valued products safety and convenience.
Monday, although experts say the price of shrimp caught from the Gulf of Mexico is the trend likely to increase by about long-term supply of shrimp from this region continue to decline, but before the competition of the product imported products, price increases will push consumers to use products of equal quality and price more reasonable. This will be an opportunity for foreign shrimp exporters to compete and dominate the market share of 8% that shrimp caught from the Gulf of Mexico currently hold.
In short, the Thais are shown the ability to better understand the Vietnamese market.However, if the Vietnamese exporters advanced imaging safety and quality of food hygiene in the eyes of U.S. consumers - is increasingly concerned about seafood safety and quality of the oil spills and quality shrimp imports - and maintain competitive prices, Vietnam shrimp export market shares may be higher than the U.S. market.
Source: Agroviet