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) 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.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tuna exports sustained their upward trajectory in August 2026, though the pace remained modest at just 2%. The month saw divergent trends across key markets: the US maintained its leading position, Japan and Canada improved, Russia surged and the EU continued to experience a steep downturn. These developments suggest that exporters are entering the final months of the year amid a market environment marked by greater uncertainty.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Congalsa has acquired the entire charter capital of Lenger Seafood Vietnam, giving it full ownership of the business and its Nam Dinh processing facility.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ninh Binh Province is entering a peak period of action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, focusing on thoroughly addressing violations, closely monitoring fishing vessels at ports and preventing vessels from violating regulations and operating illegally in foreign waters ahead of the European Commission’s (EC) upcoming inspection in 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) The application of biotechnology in seed production is increasingly viewed as a strategic imperative to upgrade pangasius fingerling quality, optimize farming efficiency and anchor sustainable industry development.
(vasep.com.vn) On September 15, 2026, in Can Tho, VASEP and ASC jointly organized a training course titled “New ASC standards: updates and practical implementation guidance for farms, businesses and aquafeed mills”. Beyond briefing stakeholders on updated ASC requirements for aquaculture facilities and feed production, the workshop dedicated substantial floor time to directly addressing on-the-ground compliance bottlenecks encountered by Vietnamese enterprises.
(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.
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