After reaching a peak of 310 million USD in April 2022, Vietnam pangasius exports began to cool down gradually in the following months. That trend is reflected in both China and the US markets.
Pangasius exports to China broke the record, reaching 113 million USD in April, but falling to 44 million USD in July. Accumulating in the first 7 months of the year, pangasius exports to China still more than doubled over the same period, reaching 451 million USD, accounting for 28% of Vietnam's total pangasius export value. However, Vietnam pangasius’s market share in this market is still modest compared to China's frozen fish import demand. Currently, Vietnam's frozen pangasius accounts for only 8-9% of China's fish imports.
Currently, China loosens the Covid inspection measure, which reduces suspending imports when detecting shipments infected with coronavirus. This will reduce the cost and time for exporting pangasius as well as other aquatic products to this market. However, China is increasingly strict in testing microbiological criteria, food hygiene and safety, so exporters should pay more attention to quality assurance and any regulations and standards of China.
Pangasius exports to the US also reached a peak of 81 million USD in April, but also fell to the lowest level in July, reaching only 32 million USD, down 4% compared to the same period in 2021. Pangasius exports to the US from 2021 to the first half of this year have a relatively high price, so the export value is positive. However, after that hot period, US importers began to adjust prices down, because inventories increased and consumption in the market slowed down due to logistical factors. In general, according to the assessment of pangasius enterprises, this product is still in demand in the US market as well as in other markets, even in the context of current inflation. However, in the second half of the year, export prices will decrease gradually.
By the end of the first 7 months of 2022, pangasius exports to the US were still 92% higher than the same period in 2021, accounting for 24% of total pangasius exports.
Although the US and China dominate the trend of pangasius exports in the direction of slowing down or decreasing, there are many markets that still maintain an optimistic growth for Vietnam's pangasius exports. Typically, the third largest single market, Mexico still maintained a high growth rate of 87% in July. The remaining two markets in the top 5 both increased by double digits in July: increased by 40% and 34% respectively.
In addition, in July, many markets have shown the “breakthrough” in importing Vietnam’s pangasius such as Canada (increased more than 4 times), Hong Kong increased by 114%, Australia by 143%, Singapore increased by more than 2 times and the Philippines by 3.5 times. This shows that Vietnam’s pangasius exports are not tighten to only China or the US markets but has many opportunities to increase exporting to other markets.
Compiled by Thuy Linh
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The United States remains one of the largest export markets for Vietnamese pangasius. In the first four months of 2026, pangasius exports to the US reached USD 106 million, up 4% compared to the same period in 2025. In April 2026 alone, export value totaled USD 38 million, marking a 20% year-on-year increase and the first positive growth recorded after an extended period of decline.
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