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) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports reached USD 7 million in June 2026, down 32% compared with the same month in 2025. Nevertheless, thanks to strong growth in the first five months of the year, cumulative tilapia exports in the first half of 2026 totaled USD 69 million, up 67% year on year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company, a member of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), has been honored with the "Famous Brand - Competitive Vietnamese Brand 2026" certification at an award ceremony organized by the Vietnam Intellectual Property Association (VIPA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) China imported nearly $1.4 billion worth of Vietnamese seafood in the first half of the year, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, surpassing the US to become the largest export market for the industry.
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