Competitive pressure on agriculture
According to experts from the European Trade Policy and Investment Support Project (EU-Mutrap), agriculture and seafood have emerged as vulnerable sectors for both Vietnam and the EU during the FTA negotiation process. Both sides have applied the highest levels of protectionism and other subsidy instruments to support the sectors.
Obviously, any changes in agricultural policy will have a big impact on employment, poverty reduction and rural development. That’s why both Vietnam and the EU try to protect their agriculture against fierce competition when opening markets.
Do Lien Huong, an EU-Mutrap expert, reveals agricultural commodities are Vietnam’s strength and many of them such as coffee, potatoes, sugar and rice are able to compete with similar products in the EU market.
The country exports a large amount of cashew nuts and seafood products, but does not pay due attention to shipping milk and dairy products abroad.
On the contrary, Vietnam has a high demand for importing input materials to feed farm produce processing. For instance, 70% of livestock feed was imported last year.
In addition, the EU’s non tariff measures (NTMs), such as food safety and hygiene requirements, and customs procedures are among the toughest in the world, and they are really a big challenge for developing countries, including Vietnam.
Industry no exception
Paul Barker, an EU-Mutrap analyst, says EVFTA will help fuel the growth of six key Vietnamese fields – garment, footwear, automobile, high-technology, handicrafts and timber processing. However, the industry still meets many challenges.
Under the trade pact, the footwear sector will greatly benefit from import tax cuts and other incentives, but face fierce competition from other footwear producers such as India, Indonesia, Thailand and newly emerging markets like Myanmar.
Meanwhile, the garment sector will find it a bit difficult to get the lion’s share in the EU market because it greatly relies on imported input materials, mostly from China, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan. Therefore, its products are unlikely to compete with similar ones in the EU in terms of prices, designs, and technological advantages.
The wood processing industry is no exception as up to 80% of its materials are imported. The handicraft industry which mainly uses domestic materials like bamboo, wood and ceramic, recently began importing these materials from China, Laos and Cambodia for production. This means both industries will go into fierce competition in the EU market.
Furthermore, importers’ demanding requirements and strict EU rules of origin remain huge barriers to Vietnamese products.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's tilapia exports to Japan posted strong growth in the first half of 2026, while a promising new trend has emerged in the value-added product segment. Notably, Vietnamese tilapia fillets have been exported to Japan for use in sushi and sashimi, creating new opportunities to enhance the value of the industry in one of the world's most demanding seafood markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a relatively sluggish first quarter, Vietnam's exports of fish cakes and surimi showed a clearer recovery in the second quarter, particularly in June. Export value in the first six months of 2026 reached USD 148 million, down 2% year on year. However, the newly imposed 12.5% additional U.S. tariff on Vietnamese goods, intensifying competition in Northeast Asia, and increasingly stringent traceability requirements in the EU are making the outlook for the second half of the year more uncertain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In June 2026, Vietnam's shrimp exports reached nearly USD 458 million, up 24% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2026, export value totaled USD 2.35 billion, an increase of 14.2% compared with the same period last year. Growth was driven mainly by the Chinese market and the strong performance of lobster exports, while shrimp exports continued to face pressure from U.S. tariffs and rising logistics costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As part of Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program is designed as a specialized B2B matchmaking initiative for selected international buyers, providing opportunities to meet directly with Vietnamese seafood exporters, gain the latest market insights, and experience Vietnam's seafood supply chain firsthand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) A project titled "Sustainable Shrimp Industry Governance" has been launched in Ca Mau Province with the aim of supporting the transition of the province's shrimp industry toward higher quality, lower emissions, stronger governance capacity, improved supply chain traceability, and the development of a sustainable shrimp brand that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of export markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Khanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, in collaboration with the Northern Center for Marine Aquaculture Research and the Van Hung Public Service Center, recently organized a training course on disease-free golden pompano seed production. The program is part of a National Agricultural Extension Project aimed at developing industrial-scale seed production models to support sustainable marine aquaculture.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The application of high technology in shrimp farming is delivering positive results in the coastal areas of Vinh Long Province, contributing to improved production efficiency and creating significant potential for further industry expansion. However, to fully capitalize on this potential, the province is focusing on aquaculture zoning, infrastructure investment, and promoting modern, sustainable production.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Đồng Tháp Province has intensified efforts to curb illegal fishing by strengthening vessel monitoring, law enforcement and seafood traceability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood businesses need solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as labor shortages, difficulty accessing capital, high input costs, and administrative procedures in order to maintain production, adapt to market fluctuations, and effectively exploit export opportunities.
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