In July 1995, Vietnam signed international treaties to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and officially partook in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) in January 1996.
Since then, the country has engaged in free trade deals such as ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement – signed in 2002 and ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement – inked in 2006; and joined the ASEAN-Japan Free Trade Area.
In October 2011, Vietnam struck a free trade agreement with Chile, and from mid-2012 onward, the Southeast Asian country has pushed ahead with negotiations on other free trade packs.
In late 2014, Vietnam concluded negotiations on bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements with the European Union, the Republic of Korea, and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Vietnam has been negotiating more free trade agreements, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and deals between ASEAN and Hong Kong, and between Vietnam and Israel.
The RCEP is considered a free trade agreement which will stipulate trade activities of the entire ASEAN.
The Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement will enable Vietnam to boost relations with Central and Eastern European countries, while accessing advanced technologies and learning how to improve management skills and vocational training.
Tax reductions under the pact will increase Vietnam’s exports to the EU to about 30-40 percent.
Meanwhile, the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which came into force in October 2016, has opened up opportunities for businesses of the two sides to boost trade and services.
Vietnamese firms will have access to a market with total gross domestic product of nearly 2.2 billion USD and a population of 183 million. Vice versa, countries from the EAEU will be able to access a 90 million population in Vietnam.
The Vietnam-RoK Free Trade Agreement, which has been in effect for one year, has boosted Vietnam’s economy and is expected to help increase the bilateral trade to 70 billion USD by 2020.
Besides opportunities, there are numerous challenges, including stricter technical requirements from foreign nations on Vietnam’s export products, which cause trade barriers.
Additionally, the competitive edge of Vietnamese firms is still poorer than trade partners in the region such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
It is also difficult for Vietnam to control imported goods due to tariff removals. Domestic consumers can buy products and use services from other countries, making it tough for Vietnam to protect production at home.
Vietnam plans to devise measures such as refining trade and investment policies, attracting high-quality foreign investment projects, and adjusting the structure of domestic and import-export market to optimise opportunities from FTAs.
By 2020, when all 16 FTAs that Vietnam is involved in come into effect, Vietnam will be among a massive economic network of 59 partners, including five permanent member countries of the UN Security Council, 15 out of the 20 nations from the G20 and other emerging economies.
Source: VNA
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States recorded remarkable growth in 2025, opening up major opportunities while also presenting considerable challenges. The U.S. remains the largest importer of Vietnamese tilapia fillets, with export turnover reaching USD 40 million—an increase of up to 499% compared to 2024. This impressive growth reflects strong demand in the U.S. market, as supply from competing countries such as China has been constrained by tariffs and rising production costs.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius remains a strategic export commodity in Vietnam’s seafood sector. Entering 2026, the industry faces a strong need to transition from volume-based growth to a value-driven development model, with a focus on quality, food safety, and sustainability.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Following damage caused by Storm No. 13 in late 2025, brackish water shrimp farming in Gia Lai is being rapidly restored. In key farming areas such as Tuy Phước and Tuy Phước Đông, farmers are focusing on rehabilitating ponds, repairing infrastructure, and treating the environment in preparation for the 2026 crop.
(seafood.vasep.com) Facing the decline in fishery resources, Vietnam is accelerating livelihood transitions for fishermen to reduce fishing pressure and move toward sustainable development. Marine fish stocks have dropped significantly from 4.82 million tons in 2000–2005 to 3.95 million tons in 2016–2020.
(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.
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