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.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.
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