VASEP said at a meeting in HCMC on Aug 2nd 2016 that to fulfill export orders, Vietnam last year had to spend roughly US$1 billion importing unprocessed seafood from 84 markets, with shrimp accounting for 40% of the total.
VASEP chairman Ngo Van Ich said importing more unprocessed seafood is essential to realize the export target of US$10 billion by 2020.
The association said climate change has dealt a blow to aquaculture this year. The area under tiger and white-leg prawn farming has been hit hard, leading to a plunge in output. Therefore, many local processors have relied on shrimp from foreign sources.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, brackish water shrimp output in the Mekong Delta dipped in the first six months, leading prices to go up. Many processing plants ran at 50-60% capacity in the period due to material shortages.
In the second half, shrimp and pangasius output is projected to slide due to unfavorable weather conditions.
The import price of unprocessed shrimp is US$1-2 per kilogram lower than that of local shrimp, so firms will buy shrimp overseas to raise the competitiveness of their products on foreign markets.
Local seafood companies have imported unprocessed shrimp from India and tuna from the Philippines and Indonesia.
Due to an undersupply of unprocessed shrimp, VASEP has revised down its forecast for shrimp exports by US$300 million to US$3 billion this year.
VASEP secretary general Truong Dinh Hoe was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying that the recent saltwater intrusion would send down shrimp supply in the remaining months of this year.
Hoe said shrimp shipments to the U.S. climbed by 13.8% in the first six months, to China and Hong Kong by 41.8%, and the European Union (EU) by 6.5%.
However, exports fell by 9% a year-on-year from Japan, which made up 17.1% of Vietnam’s total shrimp exports in the first half.
Vietnam accounts for 12.4% of the total shrimp imports into the U.S., ranking fourth after Indonesia, India and Thailand. Exports to the choosy market are expected to jump after the Ministry of Industry and Trade clinched an agreement on anti-dumping duty on shrimp imports from Vietnam with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative.
This year, Vietnam has sold shrimp to 75 markets, down from 81 in 2015. The top 10 importers are the U.S., the EU, Japan, China, South Korea, Canada, Australia, ASEAN, Taiwan, and Switzerland. These markets account for 95% of Vietnam’s total shrimp exports.
Seafood exports brought US$3.15 billion in the January-June period, up 4% year-on-year. Of the total, shrimp contributed US$1.4 billion, rising by nearly 5% versus the year-earlier period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marked a pivotal milestone for Vietnam’s seafood industry in its restructuring process toward sustainability, transparency, and higher value creation, amid continued uncertainties in the global economic and trade environment. Prolonged inflation in major economies, the rising trend of trade protectionism, and increasingly stringent requirements related to environmental standards, traceability, and social responsibility have posed significant challenges to seafood production and exports. Nevertheless, overcoming these pressures, Vietnam’s seafood sector has gradually demonstrated its adaptability, maintained growth momentum, and laid an important foundation for the next stage of development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Amid the increasingly evident impacts of drought and saltwater intrusion, the shrimp-rice production model in Ca Mau province continues to prove itself as a viable direction, contributing to higher farmer incomes, improved soil conditions and the promotion of ecological and sustainable agricultural development.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The management of fishing vessels, monitoring of fishing activities, and handling of violations in the fisheries sector in Lam Dong province have continued to be implemented in a synchronized and stringent manner, contributing to raising awareness of legal compliance among fishermen and aiming to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Can Tho’s fishery industry sustained steady growth in 2025 with total aquatic and marine output reaching nearly 783,000 tons, fulfilling 100% of the annual target. Aquaculture, capture fisheries and fishing fleet management were further strengthened, aiming for sustainable development in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s pangasius export turnover reached nearly USD 2.2 billion, up 8% year-on-year. This result indicates that pangasius exports maintained their growth momentum despite significant volatility in the global market environment. In December 2025, pangasius export value reached USD 200 million, up 10% compared to December 2024. This solid performance in the final month of the year reflects increased import demand for consumption and inventory replenishment in key markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In 2025, Vietnam’s tuna exports to Spain experienced significant fluctuations. According to Vietnam Customs, during the first 11 months of 2025, export turnover for the first 11 months of the year edged up by 0.3% year-on-year, reaching nearly $15 million.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 16/QD-TTg, dated January 5, 2026, approving the implementation plan for the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Under the plan, in the coming period, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-affiliated entities and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities must institutionalize and execute tasks focused on the dissemination of information regarding VIFTA and the Israeli market; legislative and institutional development, as well as enhancing competitiveness and human resource growth...
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Beyond achieving double-digit growth, Vietnam’s fish cake and surimi exports are showing a notable year-end "inflection point": the EU his accelerating with nearly twofold growth, China & Hong Kong are rising sharply, while the largest market, South Korea, signaled a slowdown in November. According to Vietnam Customs data, export turnover of fish cake and surimi reached $327 million in the first 11 months of 2025, up 22% year-on-year; November 2025 alone accounted for $35 million, marking a 5% increase. This serves as a critical foundation for exporters to reassess market structures and competitive intensity while finalizing order strategies for 2026.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau, widely regarded as the nation’s “shrimp capital”, continued its strong performance in 2025 as shrimp output reached nearly 600,000 tons, maintaining its position as Vietnam’s leading shrimp-producing locality.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 29, 2025, at the 2025 Pangasius Industry Review Conference held in Can Tho City, the Vietnam Pangasius Association announced that fingerling prices have surged to record levels due to acute supply shortages.
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