Vietnam spends over $480M on meat imports in first 5 months

The number climbed by roughly 1.6% in terms of quantity but declined by 9.1% in terms of value, according to the General Department of Customs of Vietnam.

In May, Vietnam imported 57,620 tonnes of meat, worth $108.8 million, up 9.5% in volume but down 10.2% in value year-on-year. This marked the fourth monthly growth in import volume of meat and meat products.

During the period, the country imported from more than 36 markets, with the five largest suppliers being the U.S., India, Russia, Brazil, and Poland.

In particular, meat imports from Russia have steadily soared after decreasing in 2022.

The main types of imported meat and include poultry and offal, fresh chilled or frozen pork, and fresh chilled or frozen beef.

Imports of chilled or frozen poultry, offal of pigs, buffaloes, and cows were on the uptrend, while pork and beef imports decreased year-on-year.

In the first five months of 2023, Vietnam imported 29,610 tonnes of fresh chilled or frozen pork, worth $73.62 million, down 19.9% in volume and 5.7% in value.