According to Seafood Guide, pangasius sales in China increased sharply during the recent New Year holiday, a positive sign for sales during the Lunar New Year holiday in early February.
Before the new year, Chinese consumer spending increased sharply, leading to enterprises stocking up pangasius to secure supply.
Chinese distributors said market demand has begun to increase since the New Year holiday. Currently, they are prioritizing the import of stockpiled goods rather than releasing existing inventory.
Vietnam, the world's largest producer of pangasius, exported over 700 containers of fish to China in December. Each contained 25 tons of frozen and butterfly-cut fillets. Vietnam's total pangasius exports to China amounted to more than 8,600 containers.
According to data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, pangasius exports to China and Hong Kong in the first 11 months of 2023 reached 529 million USD, down 21% over the same period last year. However, in November alone, turnover recovered strongly by 28% to 39 million USD.
Approaching the end of the year, China tends to increase imports of Vietnamese pangasius to serve the year-end holidays. According to data from Vietnam Customs, pangasius export turnover grew continuously for three consecutive months in September, October and November. In particular, the main export product to this market is frozen whole round pangasius and frozen pangasius fillets.
"These positive signals from the Chinese economy, increased orders, especially the strengthening of bilateral relations between Vietnam and China give reason to be optimistic about Vietnam's pangasius exports to China in the near future" VASEP commented.
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts that pangasius output in 2024 increases by 2.8% compared to 2023; The output harvested in the first and second quarters of 2024 still meets the demand for processing and export.
Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien set the target of total pangasius export turnover in 2024 at 2 billion USD, higher than the estimated figure of 2023 of 1.8 billion USD.
Seafood Guide quoted Mr. Chen Xindong, General Director of Octogone, saying that market demand is shifting to more high-end products.
As of January 1, Vietnam’s pangasius farming regions quoted raw material prices as stable at about 26,000 VND/kg (1.07 USD/kg), equivalent to the end of December.
A Chinese distributor forecasts that wholesale prices and raw material prices will continue to increase due to high demand during the Lunar New Year in early February.
According to Vietnambiz
(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.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn