However, the news is not all good for many farmers who can't get loans and have been forced to temporarily stop production. The price of tra fish has also dropped and the price of feed risen in the same period.
According to Vu Van Tam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), export turnover in 1991 was $1.2 billion. In 2011 the figure had jumped to $6.1 billion.
Tam said in June this year, Viet Nam earned $550 million from seafood exports. This brought export turnover for the first six months to a remarkable $2.9 billion, an increase of 10.6 percent against the same period last year.
Nguyen Ngoc Oai, director general of the Department of Aqua Products Exploitation and Protection attributed the success to fishing units set up by fishermen.
"Since the new model was introduced last July, more than 2,400 fishing units have been established", said Oai.
However, the economic downturn in Europe has had a serious impact on Vietnamese aqua-product enterprises. The number of enterprises involved in export activities dropped 40 per cent in the first six months.
In addition, the export price of a kilo of tra fish has dropped to VND20,000 ($0.95) from VND22,000 ($1.05). Meanwhile the price of fish feed has increased by about 10 per cent (VND 23,000-25,000/kg).
This has cost farmers about VND5,000 a kilo and forced up to 60 per cent of households rearing tra fish in the Mekong Delta to temporarily stop production.
Duong Nghia Quoc, director of Dong Thap Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said part of the problem was a lack of capital investment.
"It is estimated that more than 80 per cent of tra fish farmers need cash, but high interest rates and a shortage of loan has hampered them," Quoc said.
Due to the shortage of capital, many Vietnamese enterprises are forced to lower the selling price of tra fillet from $3 to $2.6, making survival difficult.
Nguyen Danh Hien, director of the Minh Phu Aqua Product Company in Kien Giang Province said he needed about VND1 billion to raise one hectare of shrimps. However, he could only borrow up to VND30 million because he didn't have much collateral.
When he approached a bank for credit, he was told shrimp raising was too risky and banks didn't want to loan money.
To help farmers overcome difficulties, the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has asked the Government to urgently loan VND4,400 billion ($214.6 million) to tra fish farmers and VND6,000 billion ($293 million) to shrimp farmers.
VASEP wants the Government to levy an interest rate of less than 10 per cent a year. Deputy Minister Tam said MARD would do its best to attract more investment from the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first 10 months of 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export value to China (including Mainland China and Hong Kong) reached $483 million, up 1% compared to the same period in 2024. October alone posted $73 million, a strong 19% increase year-on-year. The Chinese market currently accounts for nearly 27% of Vietnam’s total pangasius export value.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam Customs, the country’s lobster exports posted another strong month in October 2025, reaching $93 million - a 75% increase from the same month in 2024. This performance extends the sector’s impressive growth streak from earlier in the year, pushing cumulative exports for the first 10 months to $712 million, up an extraordinary 135% year-over-year. Within the product mix, green lobster remained the dominant driver, accounting for 98% of total export value, with $700 million recorded in the first 10 months - a 141% jump year-on-year. In contrast, exports of spiny lobster and other lobster varieties declined slightly by 22% and 1%, respectively, indicating that market demand is becoming increasingly concentrated on the most sought-after product line.
(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).
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
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