Representatives of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) put forward several proposals at a meeting with committee officials held in Can Tho City, seeking ways to help the fisheries sector recover and meet its export potential.
VASEP general secretary Truong Dinh Hoe said at the meeting that in the first nine months of the year, over 600 enterprises involved in seafood exports recorded a combined export value of more than US$4.5 billion, a modest increase of 4.3 per cent over the corresponding period last year.
The export growth was not as much as expected, Hoe said, adding, "the main reason is that both farmers and processors are facing many difficulties, including a serious shortage of capital, raw materials and markets."
Of these, capital shortage is the biggest problem since it seriously affects the entire fishery industry's business and production activities, he said.
The Government and the central bank have helped with several measures including lower interest rates and restructuring of old debts, but very few farmers and enterprises have benefited from them, he added.
In the first six months of this year, 40,000ha of shrimp ponds, accounting for 6.49 per cent of the total area in the Cuu Long (
To continue farming after suffering such losses, farmers and small and medium enterprises really need soft loans from the banks.
However, most of them are unable to meet the strict requirements imposed by banks, including not having any bad debt, having feasible business projects, and assets used as collateral.
Complicated lending procedures are also a part of the problem.
For instance, farmers are asked to show sales and purchase invoices before a loan agreement can be signed, while Vietnamese farmers typically engage in "hand-to-hand selling and buying."
At present, the lending interest rates for borrowers in the fisheries industry have been cut to under 11 per cent per year, but this is still expensive for farmers, given their financial capacity. The rates are also higher than in many countries in the region, making Vietnamese seafood less competitive.
Hoe suggested that the South West Steering Committee petitions the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) to create conditions for farmers and enterprises involved in producing and processing seafood for export to get easier access to short-term loans in foreign currencies that carry low interest rates.
Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy head of the committee, agreed with Hoe's suggestion, saying it was a rational move considering the difficult situation that the industry is facing.
"The committee will make a proposal to the SBV asking it to delay application of the new circular that aims to tighten lending in foreign currencies by credit institutions until the end of 2013 so that seafood processors can access this cheap capital channel," said Quang.
The central bank on March 8 had issued a circular under which foreign currency loans for importing goods and services would be given only if borrowers demonstrate they have sufficient foreign currency to repay the loans.
"Foreign currency loans now have an interest rate of only 4 per cent per year, much lower than the dong loans' 11 per cent," he said.
(vasep.com.vn) On November 11, 2026, in Can Tho, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) will organize the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029: Opportunities and Headroom for Double-Digit Export Growth.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Business leader Do Ngoc Tai, General Director of Tai Kim Anh Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company, was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) with the title “Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneur – Thanh Giong Cup 2026” at a ceremony celebrating Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13). The event took place on the evening of October 11, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market is becoming increasingly segmented, not only among producing countries but also by product type and destination market. Supply is divided into groups with distinct competitive advantages: large volumes of whole fish and frozen fillets from Asia, high-value fresh fillets from Latin America, and substantial domestic consumption in several major producing countries.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports to the UK grew in the first eight months of 2026, despite signs of slowing import demand in the market. However, sharp fluctuations in orders, competition from major suppliers, and new traceability requirements are creating challenges for Vietnamese exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam is stepping up efforts to combat illegal fishing, protect marine ecosystems, expand digital monitoring, and develop science-based management to ensure the sea can support communities and the economy for generations to come.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The EU remains a critical market for Vietnamese shrimp; however, purchasing demand and import patterns are undergoing notable changes. According to Vietnam Customs data, as of September 15, 2026, Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the EU reached nearly $374 million, down 5% year-over-year and accounting for 10.7% of the country’s total shrimp export value. Meanwhile, the EU’s stotal shrimp imports through July 2026 contracted by 7% in volume, exhibiting divergent trends across Southern Europe, Northwestern Europe and Eastern Europe. These dynamics necessitate that Vietnamese enterprises closely monitor individualized market demand, rather than approaching the EU as a monolithic consumer block.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s exports of surimi and fish cakes remained relatively stable year-over-year compared to 2025. Following a contraction in the initial months, export performance demonstrated improvement from June onward, peaking in August. However, the recovery has been uneven, characterized by divergent trends across major markets: robust growth was recorded in China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and Taiwan, whereas export volumes to South Korea, Indonesia, and select European markets contracted.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains one of Dong Thap’s key aquaculture species, with the province focusing on developing an integrated value chain covering seed production, commercial farming, deep processing and by-product utilization. The province is promoting high-tech, circular pangasius farming models featuring reduced water exchange and enhanced biosecurity, aiming to improve production efficiency and strengthen control over raw material quality.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in September 2026 are estimated at US$1.135 billion, up 11.9% year-on-year, bringing total exports in the first nine months of the year to US$9.103 billion, up 11.4%. Behind this double-digit growth, however, increasingly divergent market trends are emerging: China–Hong Kong and ASEAN posted strong growth, while the U.S., EU and Japan all recorded declines in September.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Brazil became the largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, with export value reaching US$44 million, up 22,142% year-on-year and accounting for 49% of Vietnam’s total tilapia exports. In August alone, exports to Brazil reached US$4 million. However, behind this remarkable growth is a market that is imposing increasingly stringent requirements on imported supplies.
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