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) With a focus on sustainable development, high-tech application, and climate change adaptation, An Giang Province aims to maintain its brackish water shrimp production in 2026 at a level equivalent to the previous year. Specifically, output is projected to reach over 155,510 tons, serving both domestic consumption and export processing, thereby sustaining the fisheries sector’s key role in the local economic structure.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the Mekong Delta, key pangasius farming provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Can Tho are accelerating the transition toward a circular economy model, contributing to higher product value and reduced environmental impact. Instead of focusing solely on farming and processing, the pangasius value chain is increasingly utilizing by-products and waste streams to generate added value.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s scallop exports are entering a phase of impressive growth, as the global market undergoes significant restructuring. In 2025, scallop export value reached nearly USD 66 million, up 49% from USD 44 million in 2024. This upward momentum has continued and accelerated into early 2026, with exports totaling USD 18.1 million in the first two months alone—an increase of 166% year-on-year. This represents an exceptionally high growth rate, reflecting the rapid expansion of a relatively new product segment within Vietnam’s mollusk export portfolio.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) – On March 19, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a meeting with the European Commission (EC) inspection delegation on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, led by Mr. Fernando Andresen Guimaraes, Head of Unit at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).
(vasep.com.vn) Australia is emerging as one of the most stable and promising growth markets for Vietnamese shrimp. Amid global trade disruptions driven by geopolitical tensions—particularly conflicts in the Middle East—strengthening and expanding into stable markets like Australia has become increasingly important for Vietnam’s shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s squid and octopus exports reached over USD 111 million, up 23% compared to the same period in 2025. This result indicates a positive start for the sector, reflecting early signs of demand recovery in multiple markets from the beginning of the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first two months of 2026, Vietnam’s fisheries sector maintained positive growth momentum, with shrimp output exceeding 132 thousand tons. This result contributed to a strong increase in seafood export turnover, despite ongoing volatility in the global economy.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports maintained strong growth momentum in February 2026, with many markets recording sharp increases compared to the same period last year. In February alone, export value reached USD 8.4 million, up 148% year-on-year. Cumulatively, in the first two months of 2026, total tilapia export turnover hit USD 23 million, soaring 242% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In global seafood trade, sensory evaluation is increasingly becoming one of the key “technical barriers” in many importing markets-especially the United States. Issues such as filth, and signs of decomposition/spoilage are often detected through sensory evaluation methods and remain common reasons for seafood import alerts, detentions, or shipment rejections.
Shrimp has been the most important export product of Vietnam’s seafood industry for many years, typically accounting for 35–45% of the country’s total seafood export value. With a well-developed farming, processing, and export system, Vietnam has become one of the world’s leading shrimp exporters.
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
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Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
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