The impact from the yellow card warning of the EU market made Vietnam export of cephalopod to this market drop by nearly 22%. The supply of raw materials for export processing was still low, high prices was still the problems of cephalopod processors in 2018. The growth rate of cephalopod export of Vietnam to the key markets in 2018 compared to previous year was not as high as that of the previous year, Export in 2018, howerver, was still considered a smooth year of operation for Vietnamese exporters of cephalopod with export value increasing to Korea, Japan and ASEAN by 24%, 4% and 15% respectively relative to 2017.
In the 12 months of 2018, the total value of exported cephalopod of Vietnam only decreased in July and August, the remaining months had positive growth. Export of cephalopod in Vietnam tended to grow strongly in the last quarter of the year.
In the total structure of exported cephalopod of Vietnam, squid still dominated with 51.5%, the remaining octopus accounted for 48.5%. Vietnam still mainly exported live/ fresh/frozen cephalopod products (accounting for 67% of the proportion), and processed products were still not much (33%).
In the total mix of exported dried/grilled cephalopod (code HS 03), the strongest growth was 38%; live/fresh/ frozen squid (code HS03) saw the strongest drop of 18% compared to 2017. Octopus export products in 2018 maintained positive growth compared to 2017 in which processed octopus export value (HS16 code) increased the best by 26%.
Republic of Korea was still the largest importer of cephalopod in Vietnam, accounting for 40% of Vietnam's total cephalopod export to markets. This was the market with the highest growth rate in the top 7 largest cephalopod import markets of Vietnam. In 2018, cephalopod exported to this market increased by 23.7% to US$269.8 million. Consistent demand for consumption plus tariff advantages from the free trade agreement between Vietnam and Korea (VKFTA) have helped maintain a stable export growth of Vietnamese cephalopod to this market. .
The EU was the 3rd largest importer of cephalopod in Vietnam. In 2017, Vietnam exported cephalopod to the EU market achieving a growth rate of over 50% and accounting for 12.4% of total production. In 2018, export to this market decreased by 21.7% to over US$83 million due to the impact of IUU yellow card . Export to 3 key import markets in the region (Italy, Spain, France) all fell by 30%, 8.3% and 1.2% respectively compared to 2017.
In 2019, it is expected that the export value of cephalopod of Vietnam will be equivalent to 2018. The export seafood industry, including cephalopod, is making efforts to concentrate on doing well with the C/C documents contributing quickly to remove yellow cards to generate goodwill for importers to order more.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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