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) 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.
(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.
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