Vietnam's pangasius exports were already hurting heading into 2020, so the hit from coronavirus further exaserbated their situation, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
Export value dropped for 11 consecutive months in 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 pushing companies to withdraw from the US market.
Contributing factors to falling demand included the US catfish inspection program that listed Vietnam as a country linked to siluriformes fish and fish products.
While Vietnamese producers were anticipating these inspections to help clean up their image, the coronavirus stepped in and delayed things.
