Control from Raw Materials to Processing Plants
Exported tilapia is controlled under Vietnam’s seafood food safety management system throughout the supply chain, covering raw materials, processing establishments, export consignments, certificates and feedback from importing markets. The focal authority is the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality, Processing and Market Development Authority (NAFIQPM) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, together with regional centers responsible for assessment, sampling, testing and certificate issuance.
Seafood processing establishments for export must operate quality management systems based on HACCP principles and meet requirements concerning facilities, equipment, hygiene, water and ice, cross-contamination control, temperature, storage, traceability, labeling and production records.
Competent authorities also inspect records on origin, raw material reception, HACCP systems, food safety monitoring results, alerts, customer feedback and the company’s compliance history. For establishments that fail to meet requirements, corrective actions must be implemented and the facilities reassessed before approval is considered.
For farmed tilapia, controls are also implemented at the production area and raw material level through monitoring programs for residues of harmful substances in farmed aquatic products. This ensures that food safety is controlled not only at processing plants but throughout the entire production chain.
Control of Each Export Consignment
Before an export certificate is issued, competent authorities examine documentation and verify information on the consignment, storage conditions, packaging, labeling, appearance and sensory characteristics. Where required, samples may be collected for laboratory testing once the relevant conditions have been met.
If documentation or storage conditions fail to meet requirements, the inspection process is suspended for the preparation of an official record and appropriate handling. This mechanism helps ensure that only consignments meeting food safety requirements are issued export certificates.
Management Based on Lists and Compliance History
Vietnam applies a classification and priority-list system in the management of exported seafood establishments. Facilities with a good compliance record that are included on approved export lists and fall under the priority category may have certificates issued based on the results of assessments of the effectiveness of their food safety hazard controls. In contrast, establishments outside the priority list must undergo assessment and batch-by-batch sampling and testing before an export certificate is issued.
According to the list updated by NAFIQPM on June 26, 2026, Vietnam had 868 seafood production and trading establishments participating in the Export Seafood Certification Program. Of these, 505 seafood establishments were listed for the EU market and 798 for the South Korean market.
For the tilapia industry, approximately 510 qualified seafood processing establishments eligible for export are capable of participating in the processing of tilapia products.
A Foundation for Expanding Exports
The control system covering raw materials, processing, testing, certification and export provides an important foundation for Vietnam’s tilapia to meet increasingly stringent requirements in international markets.
As tilapia exports continue to expand into the United States, Brazil, Japan and the Middle East, maintaining food safety controls, traceability and compliance with market-specific standards will play an important role in building importer confidence, improving product quality and strengthening the competitiveness of Vietnamese tilapia.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia industry is maintaining strong growth momentum, with significant room for further expansion in the coming years. In 2025, total tilapia production reached approximately 420,000 tonnes, up 33% from 2024 and 2.2 times higher than in 2015. During 2015–2025, production grew at an average annual rate of around 8.4%. As production and exports continue to expand, food safety control is receiving increasing attention to ensure product quality, meet the increasingly stringent requirements of international markets, and provide a foundation for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s tilapia industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On the afternoon of August 19, 2026, as part of the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026, the Hosted Buyer Program continued with the seminar “Vietnam Seafood Outlook 2026–2027: A Strategic Sourcing Destination,” followed by 1-to-1 B2B meetings between international buyers and Vietnamese seafood businesses.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of VIETFISH 2026 on August 19 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), U.S. Consul General Melissa Brown highlighted the important role of the exhibition in connecting Vietnam’s growing seafood industry with buyers, suppliers, and partners from the United States and around the world.
(vasep.com.vn) Tomorrow, August 19, 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition – Vietfish 2026 will officially open at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, Vietfish 2026 promises to provide a dynamic platform for business networking, trend updates, product experiences and comprehensive cooperation across the domestic and international seafood community.
(vasep.com.vn) The global tilapia market continues to grow, creating significant opportunities for countries with strengths in aquaculture, processing, and exports. Against this backdrop, Vietnam’s tilapia industry is gradually developing toward higher quality, greater product diversification, and broader market reach. At Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), together with the VASEP Tilapia Producers and Exporters Club, will host a joint booth to promote the image and potential of Vietnamese tilapia to domestic and international buyers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports are heading towards $12 billion this year, potentially the highest level on record. Yet one of the country’s export strengths is facing a growing list of challenges.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(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.
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