Although this is a relatively small market, the UAE is considered a potential one due to its growing demand for seafood, including shrimp, especially after the recent signing of the Vietnam-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which opens up new opportunities for shrimp exports to this market.
In the first nine months of this year, shrimp exports to this market reached US$7.4 million, accounting for 0.3% of the total and growing by 34% compared to the same period in 2023.
Key shrimp products exported to this market include frozen black tiger shrimp, frozen cooked PDTO whiteleg shrimp, frozen fresh EZP shrimp, frozen whole black tiger shrimp, frozen cooked whiteleg shrimp, frozen fresh PD shrimp, frozen breaded whiteleg shrimp, frozen fresh whiteleg shrimp, and frozen fresh Nobashi whiteleg shrimp.
Major shrimp exporters to the UAE include Ca Mau Seafood Processing and Service Joint Stock Company, Nam Kinh Seafood Company Limited, Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, and Minh Phu Giang Seafood Joint Stock Company.
|
Top 10 Largest Shrimp Exporters to UAE, Q1-Q3/2024 |
||
|
No. |
Company name |
Proportion (% Value) |
|
1 |
Ca Mau Seafood Processing and Service Joint Stock Company |
26,3 |
|
2 |
Nam Kinh Seafood Company Limited |
22,8 |
|
3 |
Minh Phu Seafood Corporation |
14,4 |
|
4 |
Minh Phu - Hau Giang Seafood Joint Stock Company |
7,4 |
|
5 |
Seafood Travel Construction Import-Export Joint Stock Company |
6,2 |
|
6 |
Dong Nam Seafood Import-Export Company Limited |
4,7 |
|
7 |
Sapawi Company Limited |
3,2 |
|
8 |
Silvera Food Trading Company Limited |
2,2 |
|
9 |
Phuoc Long Seafood Import-Export Company Limited |
2 |
|
10 |
Gallant Ocean Vietnam Joint Stock Company |
1,5 |
|
(Source: compiled by VASEP, for reference only) |
||
In the UAE market, Vietnamese shrimp face competition from India, China, and Ecuador. India dominates nearly 60-70% of the market share, while Ecuador has recently entered the market with a 15% share, whereas Vietnam's market share is only about 5-7%. India seems to have taken advantage of tariff preferences in this market to increase its shrimp export market share over the years. It is expected that with the newly signed CEPA, Vietnam is hopeful that its shrimp exports will soon enjoy the highest tariff incentives, facilitating an increased market share.
CEPA is Vietnam’s first free trade agreement with an Arab nation, opening a new era in upgraded and increasingly substantive relations between Vietnam and the UAE in particular and Arab countries in general.
Notably, both sides have made strong commitments to trade liberalization, with the UAE pledging to gradually eliminate tariffs on 99% of Vietnam's exports to the UAE. The agreement also includes many provisions to facilitate trade and investment, in line with current trends of digital transformation and green development.
With its strategic geographic location, advanced logistics system, and modern seaport infrastructure, the UAE serves as a vital gateway that can enable Vietnamese goods to access and expand into Middle Eastern, African, and European markets.
Moreover, the growing population, high income levels, rapid urbanization, increasing disposable income, and young people's preference for seafood, as well as the increasing online search for seafood products in recent years are expected to boost seafood consumption in the region.
However, the UAE remains a highly competitive market in terms of price and quality. Vietnamese enterprises need to adopt advanced science and technology in production, adjust management methods, minimize intermediate costs, in order to reduce product costs and enhance the competitiveness of their products. In addition, enterprises need to build a Halal certification system for shrimp products when exporting to this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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