In 1997, the country exported only 425 MT of pangasius with a total value of over US$1.65 million. Thus, pangasius exports just accounted for 0.2% of total seafood exports and were equal to 0.6% of total shrimp exports. However, in the first stage, pangasius export price was at the high of US$3.9 – US$4.1/kg. In particular, most exporters focused on the neighboring markets in the region such as China - Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Nearly 50% of pangasius output was exported to China - Hong Kong.
The next 5 years marked the stepping stone of the pangasius industry. According to a report from some Departments of Agricultural and Rural Development in the Mekong Delta, from 2000 onward, pangaisus farming in the Mekong Delta has started spectacularly with the formation of large concentration farms in An Giang , Dong Thap, Can Tho, Vinh Long ... with a total area of over 5 thousand ha. In 2001, the total output reached over 100 thousand MT; and in 2009 it reached over 1 million MT, earning an export turnover of US$1.4 billion. Thus, from the spontaneous raising of some small farming households and rudimentary production facilities, Vietnamese pangasius began to "grow" into an industrial production.
In 2002, exports marked the "spectacular" development with a sharp rise of 6,580% in the export volume and 5,253% in the export value compared with 1997; the number of markets also increased by three times. In the next four years, from the export volume of thousand MT of pangasius, it had increased to hundreds of thousands of MT of pangasius with the value up to hundreds of millions. However, the average export price of pangasius decreased from US$3.11 - US$3.15 to US$2.5 – US$2.75/kg. During this time, the pangasius export companies focused strongly on the U.S market. In 2001, the production of frozen fish fillets exported to the U.S market increased to nearly 21,000 MT, rising by more than 20 times from the export volume in 1998. The FOB prices ranged from US$1.2 to US$1.5 per pound or VND40,000 to VND50,000 per kilogram.
|
The 10 leading importing markets of Vietnam pangasius in the 10 years (1998-2007) |
||||||||||
|
No. |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
1 |
China |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
EU |
EU |
EU |
EU |
|
2 |
U.S |
China |
Japan |
Singapore |
China |
EU |
China |
ASEAN |
Russia |
ASEAN |
|
3 |
Singapore |
Singapore |
Singapore |
Hong Kong |
Singapore |
ASEAN |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
|
4 |
Switzerland |
Switzerland |
Taiwan |
Germany |
Germany |
Australia |
Hong Kong |
Australia |
Hong Kong |
Mexico |
|
5 |
Belgium |
Germany |
Australia |
Canada |
Australia |
Canada |
ASEAN |
Mexico |
Australia |
Ukraine |
|
6 |
Australia |
Belgium |
Hong Kong |
Japan |
Belgium |
Mexico |
Australia |
Canada |
Mexico |
Australia |
|
7 |
Netherlands |
Japan |
Canada |
Netherlands |
Japan |
Japan |
Mexico |
Russia |
Canada |
China-HK |
|
8 |
Sweden |
Taiwan |
- |
Australia |
Canada |
Taiwan |
Canada |
Lithuania |
Ukraine |
UAE |
|
9 |
Japan |
Malaysia |
- |
Malaysia |
Switzerland |
South Korea |
Japan |
UAE |
UAE |
Canada |
|
10 |
Taiwan |
Netherlands |
- |
China |
Malaysia |
Dominica |
Russia |
Taiwan |
Lithuania |
Egypt |
Despite the technical and commercial barriers from markets, Vietnam’s pangasius exports continue to grow. In 2008, for the first time, the export turnover of Vietnam pangasius reached billions of dollars. In this year, Vietnam exported 640.8 thousand MT, worth by US$1.45 billion with the average export price of US$2.27/kg. During this period, Vietnam pangasius continuously faced the anti-dumping tariffs, catfish inspection program (in the U.S); and the media smear campaign in the EU which greatly affected the exports. The average price of pangasius decreased from US$2.75 to US$2.15 – US$2.25/kg. In the next 3 years, the export value of pangasius reached US$1.8 billion in 2011. This was the record exports of Vietnam pangasius in the past 20 years. From 2012 to now, the average export value of pangasius was lower than the peak in 2011 and reached from US$1.56 to US$1.78 billion. After the 20 years of exports, Vietnam pangasius has been growing steadily and gained international stature.
|
The 10 leading importing markets of Vietnam pangasius in the 10 years (2008-2018) |
|||||||||||
|
No |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
3M/2018 |
|
1 |
EU |
EU |
EU |
EU |
EU |
EU |
EU |
U.S |
U.S |
China |
China |
|
2 |
Russia |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
U.S |
EU |
China |
U.S |
U.S |
|
3 |
Ukraine |
ASEAN |
Mexico |
ASEAN |
ASEAN |
ASEAN |
ASEAN |
China |
EU |
EU |
ASEAN |
|
4 |
U.S |
Russia |
Russia |
Mexico |
Mexico |
Brazil |
Brazil |
ASEAN |
ASEAN |
ASEAN |
EU |
|
5 |
Mexico |
Ukraine |
Egypt |
Brazil |
Brazil |
Mexico |
Mexico |
Mexico |
Mexico |
Brazil |
Mexico |
|
6 |
Egypt |
Egypt |
Australia |
Saudi Arabia |
China |
China |
China |
Brazil |
Brazil |
Mexico |
Brazil |
|
7 |
Australia |
Australia |
Saudi Arabia |
China |
Russia |
Colombia |
Colombia |
Saudi Arabia |
Colombia |
Colombia |
Colombia |
|
8 |
Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia |
Brazil |
Australia |
Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia |
Colombia |
Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia |
|
9 |
UAE |
Canada |
Colombia |
Colombia |
Colombia |
Australia |
Egypt |
Canada |
Canada |
Canada |
UK |
|
10 |
Canada |
UAE |
Ukraine |
Russia |
Australia |
Russia |
Australia |
Egypt |
Australia |
Australia |
Australia |
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Currently, Da Nang City has no fishing vessels detained, sanctioned by foreign authorities, or criminally prosecuted for IUU fishing violations. Patrols, monitoring of marine fishing activities, and handling of violations have been prioritized by competent forces, significantly reducing nearshore fishing infringements.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel in the first nine months of 2025 reached just over USD 27 million, down as much as 49% compared to the same period in 2024. This is a steep and prolonged decline for many consecutive months, reflecting changes in import demand as well as shifts in the supply structure of this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first 700 tons of Vietnamese tilapia ordered and imported by JBS Group will initially be distributed through supermarket chains, the Horeca network and JBS’s product showrooms in Brazil.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In October 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius exports hit $217 million, representing an 8% increase compared to the same month in 2024. For the first 10 months of the year, total export value has surpassed $1.8 billion, up 9% year-on-year. This growth demonstrates clear positive momentum for the pangasius industry, despite continued declines in certain markets.
In recent days, the Central provinces of Vietnam have been suffering from historic flooding, with prolonged heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and deep inundation causing extremely serious impacts on tens of thousands of households, as well as many VASEP member exporters located in the region. With the spirit of mutual support and solidarity, and in order to promptly assist residents and member exporters in the affected areas to stabilize their lives and restore production activities, VASEP calls on all seafood exporters, organizations, and individuals to extend supports to the people and member exporters in the flood-hit areas. We urge timely and practical material and spiritual contributions to help member exporters and local communities in the severely affected provinces overcome this difficult period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final days of October 2025, Vietnam’s domestic raw shrimp market remained generally stable, though slight adjustments were recorded in several sizes across key farming regions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 498 million in October 2025, up 26% from the same period last year. This is one of the highest monthly revenues since the beginning of the year, reflecting solid demand in major markets and faster shipment schedules by exporters. From January to October, shrimp export value reached USD 3.9 billion, up 22% compared to the same period in 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 31, 2025, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) officially issued an order to suspend the case filed by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several US seafood companies against the US Government concerning the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) An Giang’s fisheries sector has maintained stable growth momentum during the first nine months of 2025, making an important contribution to the province’s socio-economic development. Despite facing numerous challenges, the province is implementing various measures to enhance production efficiency, expand markets, and promote sustainable fisheries development toward deeper integration into the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius export value in September 2025 reached USD 181 million, up 5% compared to the same period in 2024. The overall trend for the pangasius industry remains positive, with total exports in the first nine months of 2025 reaching nearly USD 1.6 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
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Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
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Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn