(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s pangasius exports in January 2025 reached over USD 133 million, marking a 19% decline compared to the same period last year. Notably, the ranking of the top pangasius import markets saw significant adjustments.
Regarding export structure, pangasius under HS code 03 constituted 97% of the total export turnover, reaching USD 130 million, a 20% decrease compared to the same period last year. Specifically, fresh/frozen/dried pangasius (excluding HS code 0304) experienced a 28% decrease, while pangasius under HS code 0304 declined by 18%.
In January 2025, value-added pangasius (HS Code 16) constituted a minor share, generating over USD 3 million, reflecting a modest 3% increase compared to the previous year.
In terms of consumption markets, China and Hong Kong remained the largest consumers of Vietnamese pangasius in the first month of this year. Despite a negative growth of 40% year-on-year, exports to this market still reached over USD 31 million, accounting for 24% of Vietnam's total pangasius exports globally.
In January 2025, the CPTPP bloc surpassed the United States to become the second-largest import market for Vietnamese Pangasius. Although export turnover to this bloc witnessed a 17% decrease compared to January 2024, it still reached USD 21 million. Pangasius exports to Mexico remained the highest within the CPTPP bloc, at over USD 5 million, a 20% decrease compared to the same period.
The United States was the third-largest consumer of Vietnamese pangasius in the first month of the year, after consistently holding the second position behind China & Hong Kong for many years. Pangasius exports to the United States in January 2025 reached USD 18 million, a 2% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Pangasius exports to the EU in January 2025 reached over USD 13 million, a 2% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Within the EU bloc, the Netherlands remained the largest consumer of Vietnamese pangasius, with over USD 3.4 million, a 9% decrease compared to January 2024. In the first month of this year, pangasius exports to Germany recorded positive growth of 57%, with a value of nearly USD 3 million. However, many other EU markets experienced sharp declines, such as Colombia (down 38%), Spain (down 33%), and the United Kingdom (down 30%).
Despite a smaller decrease compared to other markets, the significant decline in the China & Hong Kong market, coupled with a less pronounced decrease in the CPTPP market, led to the United States falling to third place, immediately after the CPTPP bloc. Reasons for the decline in exports and shifts in rankings in the US market may include seasonal factors, as the first month of the year is typically a period following the peak demand of the previous year-end, potentially slowing down production and export activities. Other contributing factors include shifts in global market demand, competition from other supply sources, technical and tariff barriers from import markets, inventory holdings by US importers from the end of 2024, and competition from other whitefish products in the US market.
For more information, please refer to: REPORT ON VIETNAM PANGASIUS SECTOR 2015-2024