Vietnam earned nearly $150 million from exporting mollusks in 2022, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Export and Processing (VASEP).

The export of clams accounted for 70 per cent, reaching $104.5 million.

Bivalve mollusks were exported to 56 markets. The EU, the US, and Japan are the three largest, making up 90 per cent of total export value.

The EU led with 66 per cent. Exports of bivalve mollusks to the bloc last year surged 37 per cent against 2021, hitting $87 million, including $78 million worth of clams, a year-on-year rise of 42 per cent.

Clams are therefore the fourth-highest fisheries export to the EU in terms of value.

Vietnam has more than 41,500 ha of mollusk aquaculture area with an estimated output of 265,000 tons a year, including 179,000 tons of clams.