HANOI   -   Vietnam’s seafood exports reached 4.4 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this year, up nearly 7 percent year-on-year, Vietnam News reported Tuesday, citing the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers. The exports in June alone topped 875 million dollars, up 14 percent and the highest monthly exports this year, said the report. During the cited period, shrimp export fetched more than 1.6 billion dollars, with shipments of the white-legged variety up marginally and accounting for 1.2 billion dollars. Lobster export reached 130 million dollars, or 57 times the value last year. China was Vietnam’s largest lobster importer, accounting for almost the entire export. Nguyen Thi Thu Sac, the association’s chairwoman, said the association expected seafood exports in the second half to increase by 15 percent to over 5.5 billion dollars, bringing exports for the year to nearly 10 billion dollars, up 12 percent from 2023.