In the first two months of 2021, Vietnam's seafood exports to other countries continued to be affected by Covid, which slowed down logistics operations, soared sea freight, and increased production and export costs. However, exports to Australia and Canada still maintained impressive growths, up by 38.6% and 11.5% respectively compared to the same period last year with 39.3 million USD and 35.4 million USD.
Thanks to its high growth rate, Australia from the 7th market in 2020 has surpassed to the 5th place among the top 10 single markets of importing Vietnamese seafood in the first 2 months of this year. The share of this market in total exports in 2020 was 2.7%, with the higher results in the first 2 months of this year, the proportion has increased to over 4%. Australia is only behind the US, Japan, China and South Korea in the top 10 markets for Vietnamese seafood. In particular, shrimp alone accounts for 66% of total exports to this market. In 2021, by the end of February, Australia was the fourth largest shrimp market of Vietnam, with a value of over 26 million USD, up by 59%. In the context of Covid, Australia increased imports of frozen steamed white shrimp and dried shrimp from Vietnam.
In 2020, Canada is the 6th largest market for Vietnamese seafood, accounting for 4.1%, with an import value of 263 million USD. In the first two months of 2021, Canada still maintained the 6th position, accounting for 3.5% and growing steadily at 11.5%. In particular, shrimp also accounted for the largest proportion in the seafood products exported to this market, accounting for 61%. However, shrimp exports to Canada increased only slightly by 1.5% to 21.5 million USD. Meanwhile, the export of pangasius and tuna to Canada increased strongly by 13.5% and 36.4%.
In addition to Australia and Canada, the export of Vietnamese seafood to Chile in 2020 and the first two months of this year both increased sharply. Meanwhile, exports to other member countries, especially Asian countries, almost declined due to the impact of the Covid epidemic. This result also clearly shows the positive impact of the CPTPP agreement on exports to countries that first join FTAs with Vietnam such as Canada and Chile. Moreover, in the context of economic difficulties in countries, tariff preferences are fully utilized by importers as a competitive advantage. Therefore, it is forecasted that Vietnam's seafood exports to Australia, Canada and Chile will continue to increase in the coming months and in the whole year 2021.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s scallop exports are entering a phase of impressive growth, as the global market undergoes significant restructuring. In 2025, scallop export value reached nearly USD 66 million, up 49% from USD 44 million in 2024. This upward momentum has continued and accelerated into early 2026, with exports totaling USD 18.1 million in the first two months alone—an increase of 166% year-on-year. This represents an exceptionally high growth rate, reflecting the rapid expansion of a relatively new product segment within Vietnam’s mollusk export portfolio.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) – On March 19, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting with the European Commission (EC) inspection delegation on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, led by Mr. Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, Head of Unit at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).
(vasep.com.vn) Australia is emerging as one of the most stable and promising growth markets for Vietnamese shrimp. Amid global trade disruptions driven by geopolitical tensions—particularly conflicts in the Middle East—strengthening and expanding into stable markets like Australia has become increasingly important for Vietnam’s shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s squid and octopus exports reached over USD 111 million, up 23% compared to the same period in 2025. This result indicates a positive start for the sector, reflecting early signs of demand recovery in multiple markets from the beginning of the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s fisheries sector maintained positive growth momentum, with shrimp output exceeding 132 thousand tons. This result contributed to a strong increase in seafood export turnover, despite ongoing volatility in the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports maintained strong growth momentum in February 2026, with many markets recording sharp increases compared to the same period last year. In February alone, export value reached USD 8.4 million, up 148% year-on-year. Cumulatively, in the first two months of 2026, total tilapia export turnover hit USD 23 million, soaring 242% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In global seafood trade, sensory evaluation is increasingly becoming one of the key “technical barriers” in many importing markets-especially the United States. Issues such as filth, and signs of decomposition/spoilage are often detected through sensory evaluation methods and remain common reasons for seafood import alerts, detentions, or shipment rejections.
Shrimp has been the most important export product of Vietnam’s seafood industry for many years, typically accounting for 35–45% of the country’s total seafood export value. With a well-developed farming, processing, and export system, Vietnam has become one of the world’s leading shrimp exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, the global food market is facing increasing volatility in logistics costs, energy prices, and supply chains. In the seafood sector, alongside ocean-caught products such as tuna, the surimi-based product group—including fish cakes, crab sticks, fish balls, and other imitation seafood products—has also been affected to some extent by these developments.
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