In 2012, exports of pangasius were valued at USD 1.75 billion (EUR 1.3 billion), with Europe accounting for 24.4 percent at USD 425.8 million (EUR 326.7 million) and the U.S. for 20.6 percent at USD 358.9 (EUR 275.5 million). Within Europe, Spain is the largest market with a share of 5 percent valued at USD 86.7 million, the Netherlands has a 3.9 percent share valued at USD 68.4 million (EUR 52.5 million), Germany’s share is 3.3 percent (USD 57.4, EUR 44 million) and the U.K.’s is 2.1 percent (USD 36.2 million, EUR 27.8 million).
Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, deputy director general of the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries, explained that export values were down in 2012 compared with 2011, but it is hoped that this situation can be improved in 2013 and a new trade association has just been formed to help achieve this.
He explained that programs had now been put in place to ensure pangasius production was undertaken to the higher standards expected by the market.
“We have put money and resources into research to improve juvenile quality, feed quality and production standards, with an emphasis on food safety, traceability, animal health, environmental protection and social standards,” he said.
“Part of this strategy is to encourage farmers to undertake ASC certification and our initial target of 10 percent of production certified by 2013 has already been exceeded by 5 percent. By the end of February 2013, fourteen farms are currently approved and a further four are undergoing audit.” The government has a highly ambitious target for all farms to be certified by 2015.
The larger companies have fully integrated operations, enabling them to control every stage of the production process. Vinh Hoan Corporation recently extended its involvement to rice production, with rice bran used in-feed and the husk used as biofuel at its feed factory. Its 47 hectare pangasius hatchery and 300 hectare of grow-out ponds are well designed and run, with extensive settlement ponds and water hyacinth beds to filter out nitrogen and phosphorous before the water returns to the Mekong river. Once harvested at 1 kilogram, fish are transported live to the processing unit in well boats to keep them in prime condition.
“We already had GlobalGAP, AquaGAP and BAP certification and the addition of ASC shows our commitment to environmentally responsible pangasius production, control over our fish meal and fish oil sources, and social responsibility. It also gives reassurance to our customers and has been an advantageous marketing tool,” said Nguyen Ngo Vi Tam, deputy general director of Vinh Hoan. The company was the first to be ASC certified in Vietnam.
Vinh Hoan is the main supplier of frozen plain and value added pangasius products to Dutch wholesaler Queens, which sells into all the major retailers. “We are very happy with the company’s production and processing standards and the ASC logo gives Dutch consumers confidence in the product,” said Harry Hoogendoorn Queens managing director.
The extensive and efficient primary processing unit is highly labour intensive, with some 2,000 local employees hand slaughtering, gutting, filleting, skinning, washing, checking, IQF or block freezing, packing and dispatching all over the world.
The Hung Vuong Corporation runs a similar intensive pangasius pond operation, raising and processing 120,000 MT of fish annually to GlobalGap and ASC standards. This is processed in their twelve factories built close to the production sites, for global export.
Nguyen Dang Khoa, vice sales manager of Hung Vuong, explained that the company aims to increase this to USD 300 million (EUR 230 million) by 2015. “Being certified against the ASC standard has definitely helped in our dealings with customers and we are gradually increasing the number of our farms that operate to the ASC standard. It has also improved production rates and reduced mortality, making our business more efficient.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(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.
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