More challenges are expected for Vietnam’s aquaculture exports in 2024, according to Tran Dinh Luan, General Director of the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The fishery sector's current problems include the traceability of seafood to combat illegal exploitation and ensure food safety on fishing vessels and fishing ports. In addition, seafood exports face many other barriers such as animal welfare and carbon certificates to ensure environmental safety during the production process of products exported to Europe and the US. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has lowered its target for seafood export value for 2024 to 9.5 billion USD from its previous expectation of 10 billion USD. The fisheries sector is expected to have an output of 9.22 million tonnes of seafood from an aquaculture area of 1.3 million hectares this year. According to the Department of Fisheries, the seafood export value in 2023 was estimated to reach 9.2 billion USD, or 92% of the plan, down 8% compared to 2022. Of this year's export value, about 3.45 billion USD were from shrimp, 1.9 billion USD from tra fish, 900 million USD from tuna, and 800 million USD from mollusks. Total seafood export output in 2023 was estimated at 9.05 million tonnes, an increase of 2% compared to 2022. Exploited seafood output reached 3.68 million tonnes, equal to 2022, while aquaculture output was more than 5.4 million tonnes, an increase of 3.5% compared to 2022. The world economy has recovered slowly, while the prices of some input products for aquaculture development and logistics costs have remained high, putting pressure on production. These challenges impacted Vietnam's seafood processing and export activities, causing difficulties for the seafood industry this year. Meanwhile, the European Commission continues to maintain a yellow card warning for Vietnam's seafood. Therefore, in 2024, the task of production and business will become more difficult. Luan said seafood export revenue decreased in 2023 as the fisheries industry faced challenges such as a lack of standards and regulations for environmental monitoring, and inadequate infrastructure in farming areas. The efficiency of catching activities was still low. Consumption demand decreased in most markets, causing a drop in export turnover. Vuong Thi Oanh, an official from the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said although the fisheries industry shows signs of recovery, there are still many difficulties in 2024. Specifically, China, the US, Europe, and Japan were expected to recover from the last months of 2023 because those markets prepare food for festivals at the year end and the new year, while importers' inventories are low. Vietnam is a potential supplier to those markets. However, competition with rivals also increased, such as with Thailand, Indonesia and China, for processed products and with Ecuador for regular products./.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Favorable weather conditions in the early months of 2026 have brought encouraging signs for fisheries activities in Quang Tri. Output has grown steadily, contributing to improved livelihoods for local residents.
Entering 2026, Vietnam’s seafood industry is facing a period of both high expectations and mounting pressures. Following the positive recovery in 2025, production and export activities in Q1/2026 demonstrated the strong adaptability of Vietnam’s seafood business community amid continued global trade volatility, intensifying international competition, and increasingly stringent compliance requirements in import markets.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.069 billion, up 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025. This is a positive result amid an uneven global shrimp market recovery, intensifying competition among major suppliers, and continued volatility in the international trade environment. However, this growth does not reflect a broad-based recovery across the entire sector, but rather is driven mainly by strong performance in a few markets and specific product segments—most notably lobster exports to China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports continued to decline in March 2026. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, export value reached USD 208 million, down 4% compared to the same period in 2025. The export landscape shows clear divergence across markets: while the U.S. and EU remain challenging, markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Egypt, the Philippines, and Mexico have emerged as growth bright spots.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In Quang Ngai Province, shrimp farming costs are rising sharply due to लगातार increases in feed, fuel, and input material prices, while farm-gate shrimp prices are declining. This has significantly reduced farmers’ profit margins and increased production risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports are experiencing impressive growth, reflecting expanding global demand as well as the sector’s development potential. However, behind the strong growth figures lie limitations in production capacity and supply chains, highlighting the need for sustainable development in the coming period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East in 2025 and early 2026 have shown notable growth. However, escalating geopolitical tensions in the region have increasingly impacted export activities since March. This situation presents a challenge of balancing market expansion opportunities with rising trade risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed localities to base their stocking schedules on actual conditions in each farming area, while developing plans, allocating resources, and implementing synchronized measures for disease prevention and disaster risk management in aquaculture production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of fish cakes and surimi exceeded USD 45 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025, indicating a positive outlook for this product segment amid recovering demand in many markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the week from April 4th to 10th, 2026, Quang Ngai province intensified its monitoring and law enforcement activities with the determination to eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices.
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