The export of agro-forestry-fishery products to Japan is forecast to continue thriving in 2024 as numerous export opportunities are in place.
Japan remained the third largest importer of agro-forestry-fishery products from Vietnam in the first two months of 2024, after the US and China. The shipments to this Northeast Asian market accounted for 7.2% of the total, increasing 29.2% year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Data from the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development show that last year, vegetable and fruit exports to Japan reached 176.2 million USD, equivalent to 106.7% of that in 2022, and coffee 319 million USD or 114.9%. However, aquatic exports fell 10.9% year on year to more than 1.5 billion USD in 2023.
Phung Thi Kim Thu, a shrimp market expert at the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said the Japanese market is believed to still hold much potential for aquatic products and recover sooner than other major markets like the US and the EU in 2024.
She elaborated that Japan is closer to Vietnam geographically compared to the US and the EU while payment methods are safer, which are favourable conditions for Vietnamese exporters of aquatic products, especially amid soaring transportation expenses. Besides, Vietnamese businesses’ processing capacity is high compared to others’ in the world, and this is also a big competitive edge in Japan.
Vietnam is taking the lead in the high-end shrimp segment there. In comparison with other large markets such as the US, the EU, and China, trade in aquatic products with Japan is assessed as more stable.
Japan was the second largest market of Vietnam’s aquatic products in 2023, after the US. While shipments to the US dropped 29% and to others in the top five down 16 - 18%, exports to Japan recorded the smallest decrease, by 12%.
In January 2024, shrimp exports to Japan topped 37 million USD, up 30% from a year earlier, making this market the third biggest importer of Vietnamese shrimp during the period, after the US and China, statistics of the General Department of Customs show.
Aside from aquatic products, coffee is also predicted to post good growth in exports to Japan this year. According to data from the Japan Coffee Association compiled by the Coffee Trading Academy, green coffee inventories in this country were at 2.39 million 60-kg sacks at the end of December 2023, 8% lower in the same month a year earlier and also the lowest level of December since 2017. This is expected to fuel Japan’s coffee trading in the time ahead. Japan’s coffee market is forecast to post 6.1 billion USD in revenue this year and an average annual growth rate of 0.24% during 2024 - 2028. The coffee consumption there could stand at 1.62kg per capita in 2024, with rising demand for specialty and high-quality beans. Given this, Vietnamese producers and exporters were recommended to sell the products suiting this market’s taste to increase value. Meanwhile, vegetable and fruit exports to Japan in January hit 16.9 million USD, surging 40.9% from last December and 53.2% from the same month of 2023. Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association, said Japan’s vegetable and fruit demand is relatively large while imports from Vietnam are still modest. As a result, there remain numerous opportunities for businesses to expand their market share.
He suggested businesses thoroughly learn Japan’s regulations to satisfy its high standards to boost shipments to this market./.
(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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the International Seafood Hosted Buyer Program has been designed as a dedicated B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers. The program provides opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood companies, gain market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
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
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn
