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) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(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).
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