One of priorities of the Vietnamese fishery industry is to shorten the way to European retail chains for their seafood products. However, no company is able to bring seafood products to foreign supermarkets' shelves directly. The reason is that seafood products from Vietnam have to pass many steps in the distributing chain, especially labelling and marketing, which are dominated by big fish and seafood processing and distribution groups in importing markets.
Consumers can buy fish products like pangasius loins from Vietnam in some supermarkets in Europe. All of them are sold under the brand name of European processing and distribution groups. However, consumers can find the statement "from Vietnam" on these products. It is clear that products from Vietnam have to pass a range of expensive steps to be available in European supermarkets; therefore, profit of Vietnamese export companies are tightened even though they provide pangasius at high price.
Nguyen Huu Dung, Vice President of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) analyzed that European buyers are the most important partners of Vietnam; however, they are only interested in the selling price in stead of the quality of products.
"Previously, Vietnamese exporters had no choice once European importers had willingness to buy fish at a lower price. However, Vietnam pangasius industry is changing the supply method and turning to final distributors – i.e. big supermarkets and leading retailers in Europe, which account for large market shares in this region," Mr. Dung added.
Vietnamese seafood exporters are still weak in marketing. Most of them are not paying attention to habits of final consumers in Europe.
Which kinds of designed fish products do consumers want to buy? What are recipes for pangasius? These steps are taken by middle men in foreign markets, so profit for Vietnamese company is lower and lower.
"Personally, I think that marketing is more important than increasing output. Pangasius producers must identify who eat their fish and how consumers want fish products to be processed and designed. However, distributors in foreign markets are still needed to further promotion of products to gain high selling price. Currently, Vietnamese processors and exporters are much investing in the quality, but price for pangasius products is still low," Sabine Gisch-Boie with WWF Austria explained.
Different from the U.S., European countries have very low catfish production. There is no obstacle from European Fish Procesors Association against pangasius from Vietnam. Exports of pangasius to this region may gain more advantages.
Vietnamese exporters are now focusing on convincing European consumers with pangasius products with good quality, mild flavour and easy to prepare for home meals.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp industry is entering a period of strong transformation with the emergence of various high-tech farming models, helping improve productivity and competitiveness. Over the past 5–10 years, farming practices have shifted from traditional methods to intensive and super-intensive systems, featuring lined ponds, environmental sensors, automated feeding, and data management.
(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.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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