First - the business climate. Europe is not monolithic, and although you may see headlines about European economic problems, they are impacting different countries very differently.
The biggest problems for seafood are Spain and Greece, with the Spanish market being especially vulnerable. Spains weakness may spill over into the cod market, and into some types of shrimp, as sales that would have gone to Spain seek homes elsewhere.
But business is strong in Germany, the UK and other parts of Europe, including Russia, and so there is no indication that somehow the European market is suffering a crisis at this time.
One of the major themes is value added seafood. At the Dutch seafood breakfast, major importer and European distributor Culimar introduced new branding, for its responsible artisanal seafood.
Marketing manager Martin Van Geest also said they were competing with a plague of adulterated products - particularly shrimp, where a 20% glaze product often does not produce 800 grams of net weight - but 750 or less. In southern Europe, price is supreme and it is very hard to sell 100% net weight. Their business is targeting high end foodservice and customers who want guaranteed quality.
Culimar also introduced a new snow crab item, a merus pack of snow crab meat harvested in Korea and processed in their plant in Vietnam. There is an opportunity for snow crab in Europe, both as sections and meat, and it is being driven by chefs who want an alternative to high priced king crab.
Over time, snow crab should become a more important item in Europe.
There is a huge ongoing debate here about marketing sustainability. There is a lot of spin from different organizations about how important their label is, and there is a sense that the fight over sustainability certifications is hurting the industry.
Alaskan companies have both reported some customers who wish to retain an MSC label - for marketing reasons such as having packaging created, and having invested in educating customers, while others say their buyers in some of the most sophisticated markets, like Germany, are fine with the Global Trust Certification.
In fact, Mark Tupper, president of Triad Fisheries which markets troll caught kings and coho under the Bruce Gore label, said his customers in Germany were fine with their switch to Global Trust Certification.
In fact, Triad is just completing the chain of custody inspection, and plans to be the first Alaskan company certified with the Global Trust chain of custody certification.
We will have much more about the sustainability issues, but long term, it is clear that there is a different environment emerging about how to market sustainability, and the discussion has moved from whether a fishery is sustainable or not, to how to best convey that to consumers.
Finally - cold water shrimp prices are still not settled, and may not be settled at the show this year. Some major Canadian companies want to get some feedback from customers and then look at their costs to determine final pricing - but no one thinks the market can sustain an increase. The issue is how to maintain stability.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
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