This was a remarkable result in the big market of Vietnamese seafood as Japanese consumers previously were not "willing" to consume aquaculture products, they prefer to import products from the sea. Japan is one of the biggest importers with high prices and being very particular. Vietnamese pangasius is gradually discovering the "secrets" of this market's taste.
In 2011, the export value of pangasius to Japan was only US$2.56 million, accounting for 0.14% of Vietnam export value of pangasius. This was a very modest number in the proportion of Vietnam's pangasius exports. In the period of 2017-2018, the export value of Vietnamese pangasius to Japan was 9 times and 12 times higher than in 2011 respectively. This shows that pangasius enterprises still persisted to conquer the fastidious market and realized great potentials in this market.
Back in 2008 when the Vietnam - Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) was signed on December 25 and came into effect on October 1, 2009. This was the first bilateral FTA of Vietnam, in which both Vietnam and Japan offered more incentives to each other than the ASEAN - Japan FTA. Regarding the general commitment, within 10 years since the Agreement came into effect, Vietnam committed to liberalize about 87.66% of trade turnover and Japan committed to liberalization with 94.53% of trade turnover. At that time, Vietnam - Japan pangasius trade was still not outstanding.
However, from April 2019, according to the EPA tariffs of Japan Customs, fresh/chilled pangasius catfish (including pangasius) - HS code 030432 imported from Thailand, Mexico, Chile and Philippines were exempted from import tax. These products from ASEAN and CPTPP (TPP 11) were applied 3.5% and 0% tax rate respectively. Vietnamese frozen fillet pangasius products (HS 030462) exported to Japan was completely exempted from import tax.
Thanks to The ASEAN – Japan Free Trade Agreement and Vietnam - Japan Free Trade Agreement, some Vietnamese seafood products exported to Japan have been removed from the tariff barrier. With CPTPP, many seafood products that have not yet been committed to abolishing taxes in these two FTAs will also enjoy 0% tax when exported to Japan. Some seafood products will enjoy the tax rate of 0% as soon as the agreement comes into effect, including pangasius products that are being imposed tax of 3.5-10.5%. Thus, with advantages from 3 FTAs with Japan, Vietnam Pangasius enterprises have more opportunities to further increase pangasius exports to Japan market.
Japanese are afraid of the strong smell of freshwater fish products. In addition, the comparation between the quality of freshwater fish/ farmed fish or marine species in the past made Japanese people rarely import freshwater fish products. However, there are many Vietnamese pangasius enterprises that have started to "get acquainted" and "understand" about the seafood consumption tastes of Japanese.
Eel is a premium product in Japan with prices up to more than US$24/pc. However, Japanese eels are facing the risk of depletion due to overfishing. Therefore, Japanese enterprises have imported Vietnamese pangasius to process into a dish with the same flavor as Japanese eel with a price of one third. In 2017, pangasius had a good effect on Japanese consumers thanks to this dish.
By the statistics of optimistic growth of Pangasius exports to Japan market, VASEP said that there was great potential for Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to conquer this market. Currently, Japan has officially entered the top 10 largest pangasius importers of Vietnam in the first 3 months of 2019.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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