The chance has come
Chair of the Thai Shrimp Association Somsak Paneetatayasai said Thai shrimp exports in 2013 may decrease sharply by 50 percent due to the EMS. Only 20-30 percent of shrimp ponds in the country still keep operation.
The EMS began having big influences to the shrimp hatchery industry of the country in 2012, with the syndrome infected by both black tiger and white leg shrimps.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the sharp decline in Thai shrimp exports has made the frozen shrimp prices in the US and Europe surge by 20 percent in recent months and double over the last two years. The price in Japan has also increased by $5.5 per kilo.
Tran Huu Loc, who found the causes of EMS, said the epidemic has reached out to Mexico, and if it is spread out in South America, the shrimp prices would be increasing even more sharply.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) have affirmed that the percentage of dead shrimps has decreased significantly due to the lower farming density.
Japan has raised the permitted ceiling Trifluralin residue level for the shrimp imports from Vietnam from 0,001ppm to 0,5ppm, which has helped the Vietnam’s shrimp exports to Japan in the first five months increase by 3.6 percent.
Vietnamese exporters have found new markets in South America, the Middle East and Asia. China remains the third biggest importer. In the first five months of the year, Vietnam exported $108.5 million worth of shrimps to the market, up by 17.9 percent over the same period of the last year.
The shrimp epidemics in South East Asia have forced the regional countries to increase the imports to satisfy the domestic market and the processing for export. Therefore, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to ASEAN countries have increased by 15.5 percent.
Danger is over, difficulties exist
2012 was the most difficult time of the shrimp farming industry. With the capital burning out and debts burdening, a lot of farmers had to give up farming because they could not access bank loans.
Thanh Tra newspaper reported that 30,000 hectares of shrimp farming area in Mekong River Delta suffered from the epidemics. Local farmers now need at least VND900 billion worth of capital to resume the hatchery.
Besides, Vietnam also needs more capital to develop the shrimp growing areas and carry out trade promotion campaigns in new markets. It is expected that Vietnam needs $70-100 million a month to import shrimp materials.
Though Vietnam has successfully controlled EMS, farmers are still facing a lot of difficulties. VASEP’s Secretary General Truong Dinh Hoe has called for urgent preferences to fulfill the plan on exporting $2.4 billion worth of shrimps in 2013.
VASEP has proposed to lower the shrimp material import tariff to zero percent and asked banks to restructure debts and continue providing loans.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius industry is facing new opportunities to expand its development space as many localities and businesses begin promoting marine farming models aimed at diversifying farming areas and adapting to climate change. However, for pangasius to truly “go offshore” and develop into a large-scale industry segment, significant challenges related to technology, broodstock, and markets still need to be addressed.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports in April 2026 reached USD 11 million, up 92% compared to the same period in 2025. This strong growth indicates that Vietnamese tilapia products are continuing to penetrate and expand rapidly in international markets. Cumulative export turnover in the first four months of 2026 reached USD 49 million, up 151% year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com) At VietShrimp Asia 2026, disease management trends in shrimp farming are shifting strongly from treatment-based approaches toward proactive prevention through environmental and pond ecosystem control.
(vasep.com.vn) After a period of strong growth, with export turnover reaching USD 38 million in Q1/2026 — up 174% year-on-year — the sector’s rapid expansion clearly reflects growing market opportunities.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first quarter of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the ASEAN bloc reached USD 44 million, up 7% compared to the same period in 2025. After falling to the lowest level of the quarter at USD 9 million in February — reflecting the seasonal slowdown in orders after the festive period — exports recovered strongly to USD 18 million in March, the highest monthly value of the quarter. This development shows that import demand for pangasius in ASEAN remains relatively stable despite short-term fluctuations.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 11, 2026, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a positive comparability finding for Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries, along with those of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). With this decision, seafood and seafood products harvested from Vietnam’s swimming crab fisheries will continue to be eligible for import into the US market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a slowdown in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Germany showed more positive signs in the first quarter of 2026. However, the recovery remains uncertain as consumer demand in Germany is still cautious, while market competition is increasingly driven by pricing and supply stability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a sharp decline in 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Israel are showing positive signs of recovery in the early months of 2026. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover to this market grew steadily month by month in Q1/2026, reaching nearly USD 10 million, up 33% compared to the same period in 2025. However, compared to Q1/2024, this level remains significantly lower, indicating that the recovery is still in its early stage following last year’s strong adjustment.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Entering 2026, the U.S. whitefish market has shown complex developments as global cod supply continues to tighten, while the U.S. trade environment becomes less stable. In this context, the U.S. market has had to become more flexible in sourcing alternative whitefish. However, relying heavily on Alaska pollock is not a long-term solution, as it is a strictly managed fishery with quotas and sustainability regulations, limiting any rapid increase in output to offset cod shortages.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Aquaculture, capture fisheries, and seed production activities in Lam Dong in the early months of 2026 continued to show positive signs, with both output and farming area slightly increasing compared to the same period, contributing to maintaining overall industry stability.
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