Seafood exporters have fresh opportunities to gain greater access to high-value markets, after negotiations concluded with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) on a free trade agreement (FTA) that would help Việt Nam diversify exports amid rising global trade uncertainties.
The FTA would increase access to markets with strong demand for premium food products in line with the Southeast Asian country’s strategy of shifting exports towards increasing added value, the association said.
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said that the trade deal, which covers Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, came as seafood exporters face growing protectionism and increasingly stringent food safety and sustainability requirements in major markets.
According to the association, Vietnamese exporters should not compete on price but focus on higher-value products such as processed shrimp, premium frozen shrimp, pangasius fillets and portioned cuts, processed pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, crab, shellfish and ready-to-cook seafood products for retail chains.
VASEP urged exporters to fully comply with origin requirements, certification procedures, food safety regulations and technical standards to be able to benefit from the preferential tariffs under the trade deal.
Early preparations in quality control, sustainability certification, traceability systems, compliance with rules of origin and packaging, as well as closer relationships with retailers, importers and food service distributors in Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, are needed for exporters to be able to seize opportunities from the trade deal.
Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are members of the European Economic Area and closely aligned with EU standards, while Switzerland maintains similarly strict requirements on food safety, traceability, environmental protection, labour practices and corporate social responsibility.
To expand market share in EFTA countries, Vietnamese seafood companies will need to strengthen standards across the entire supply chain, from aquaculture and fishing vessels to processing plants, cold storage, packaging and sustainability certification.
Over the longer term, VASEP said EFTA could become a valuable niche market, helping Việt Nam raise both the value and sustainability of its seafood exports while strengthening its position in global seafood supply chains.
Beyond trade, the FTA could strengthen cooperation in technology and investment as Norway and Iceland are recognised for their expertise in marine aquaculture, fisheries management, cold-chain technology, seafood processing and logistics.
VASEP said the agreement could create opportunities for cooperation in technology transfer, raw material supply, investment, supply chain management and product development.
At the same time, lower tariffs were expected to make seafood imports from EFTA countries, particularly Norwegian and Icelandic salmon, mackerel, cod, whitefish and frozen seafood products, more competitive in the Vietnamese market.
This would increase competition in premium retail and also encourage domestic producers to improve product quality, invest in value-added processing, strengthen branding and modernise distribution systems, the association said.
Although seafood exports to the EFTA bloc remain modest, recent growth suggests untapped potential.
In 2025, seafood exports to Switzerland rose by 15 per cent year-on-year to US$34.1 million, while shipments to Norway nearly doubled, increasing 95 per cent to $18.5 million.
In the first five months of 2026, exports to Switzerland fell by 15 per cent from a year earlier to $13.4 million, equivalent to around 0.3 per cent of the country's total seafood exports. Shipments to Norway, however, climbed 36.7 per cent to $7 million over the same period, with May exports alone rising by 11.5 per cent year-on-year to $1.64 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Lithuania surpassed $14 million, up 8% year on year. While the increase remains modest, it is notable given the continued pressure on Vietnamese tuna exports to the EU as a whole. More importantly, export turnover to Lithuania has shown a clearer recovery in recent months, making the market a destination worth monitoring for Vietnamese businesses in Europe.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s squid and octopus exports exceeded $527 million in the first eight months of 2026, marking a 15% year-on-year increase. This growth is particularly notable given the strong baseline established in 2025, when export turnover for the same period reached $458 million, a 13% rise from 2024.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese pangasius is gaining traction in Japan, where competitive prices and reliable supplies have helped the fish enter professional distribution channels and a major sushi chain.
(vasep.com.vn) A circular economy does not create a “new type of shrimp” or a new certification. Its value lies in helping the shrimp value chain use resources more efficiently, stabilize production, generate additional value from by-products and build the data and evidence needed to meet increasingly stringent market requirements. This was the perspective shared by VASEP at the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Forum on Promoting a Circular Economy in the Shrimp Industry in the Mekong Delta, held in Can Tho on September 21.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP markets reached $264 million in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year-on-year and accounting for 17% of the nation’s total pangasius export turnover. In August alone, export value reached $34 million, inching up 3%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Golden pompano is being selected as a high-value species for the development of high-tech marine aquaculture in Lam Dong Province. In 2026, the provincial Agricultural Extension Center launched a golden pompano farming model using circular HDPE cages in Lien Huong Commune, opening opportunities to apply technology to marine farming at a scale suited to local coastal conditions.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached $3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth momentum is moderating and market divergece is becoming more pronounced, while the US and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global shrimp forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers place greater emphasis on quality, product specifications, supply consistency and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports continued to grow in August 2026, bringing total export value in the first eight months of the year to US$1.5 billion, up 10% year-on-year. August exports alone reached US$205 million, up 6%. However, market performance has become increasingly divergent, with China and Brazil posting positive growth while the U.S. continued to record a sharp decline.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$1.14 billion in August 2026, up 6.4% year on year, bringing the total for the first eight months to more than US$8.0 billion, an increase of 11.9%. Monthly export value remained above US$1 billion, but August growth was only around half the rate recorded cumulatively through the first eight months. This indicates that the eight-month result was supported significantly by stronger performance in earlier months, while market conditions are entering a less predictable period.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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