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) In Hoa Vang district (Da Nang City), red tilapia farming is demonstrating clear economic efficiency, becoming a promising livelihood that helps many households increase their income. A notable example is the model of Mr. Huynh Ngoc Nam, who operates two red tilapia ponds covering more than 4 hectares, generating stable annual income.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Gia Vien district, tilapia farming—particularly the “duong nghiep” strain—is expanding rapidly and gradually becoming an efficient production model for local farmers. Hatcheries in the area are supplying high-quality, uniform, and disease-free fingerlings, meeting the growing demand for commercial farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of March 19, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, Le Van Su, chaired a meeting to address bottlenecks and propose solutions to expand the super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming model using low water exchange and high biosecurity standards (RAS-IMTA).
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On March 10, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued Decision No. 1377/QD-UBND approving the Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control Plan for the 2026–2030 period. The decision takes effect from the date of signing and replaces previous plans for the 2021–2030 period that had been issued prior to the administrative merger in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
(vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Chile imported more than USD 156 million worth of tuna, up 8.1% compared to the previous year and the highest level in the past five years. As the supply structure in this market is rapidly shifting, Vietnamese tuna is facing both opportunities to expand market share and increasing competitive pressure from Thailand, Colombia, and China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vinh Long Province is stepping up efforts to develop brackish water shrimp farming in a sustainable direction, identifying it as a key sector in its agricultural structure. In 2026, the province aims to reach around 71,300 hectares of shrimp farming, with an output of over 314,000 tons.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ha Tinh Province is strengthening control over shrimp seed quality to minimize risks for the 2026 spring–summer farming season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In February 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports reached USD 119 million, down slightly 5% year-on-year. However, thanks to strong performance in January, cumulative exports in the first two months of the year still reached USD 331 million, up 28% compared to the same period in 2025. Export activity slowed somewhat in February due to seasonal factors, particularly the Lunar New Year holiday, which disrupted production and shipments at many seafood processing enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Da Nang is accelerating the development of high-tech shrimp farming toward intensive production, disease control, and improved efficiency. Many shrimp farms have invested in automated environmental monitoring systems, continuously tracking indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity, enabling farmers to promptly adjust pond conditions and reduce disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 is considered a turning point for Vietnam’s shrimp seed industry as the sector faces the need for strong transformation in technology, production management, and gradual self-sufficiency in broodstock supply. These factors are seen as key to improving seed quality and strengthening the competitiveness of the shrimp industry amid increasingly demanding market requirements.
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