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) While Vietnam’s shrimp exports to many major markets continued to post positive growth in the first months of 2026, exports to the United States declined, highlighting growing competitive pressures and trade barriers facing the Vietnamese shrimp industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Egypt is emerging as one of the most promising destinations for Vietnamese tuna exports in 2026. During the first four months of the year, export turnover to this market exceeded USD 7.3 million, marking a sharp increase compared to the same period over the previous two years. As Egypt’s tuna imports continue to recover and demand for canned tuna remains strong, the market is becoming increasingly attractive for Vietnamese tuna processors and exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP member countries reached nearly USD 128 million, accounting for 18% of the country’s total pangasius export value and increasing by 21% compared to the same period in 2025. Demand patterns varied significantly across the bloc: Mexico primarily imported fresh and frozen pangasius products, while Japan and Canada recorded substantial shares of processed products. Australia remained focused on frozen fillets but continued to maintain a portion of processed imports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Despite the slow recovery of the U.S. market and continued trade-related challenges facing Vietnam’s shrimp industry, Minh Phu Seafood Corporation (MPC) has set ambitious targets for 2026. The company aims to produce 68,800 metric tons of finished shrimp products, generate consolidated revenue of VND 19.9 trillion, and achieve VND 1.059 trillion in pre-tax profit. If achieved, these figures would represent the highest revenue and profit levels in the company’s history.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) HungHau Foods Joint Stock Company (HungHau Foods) has been honored at the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Forum, receiving two prestigious awards: “Top 10 Outstanding Asia-Pacific Enterprises 2026” and “Top 10 Outstanding Entrepreneurs” awarded to HungHau Foods CEO, Ms. Nguyen Yen.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a period of sluggish imports in 2025, the Chinese market has returned with strong shrimp purchasing momentum in the first months of 2026. However, alongside rising demand comes an increasingly stringent import control system, covering quarantine requirements, food safety standards, registration procedures, and traceability. This makes China a market that offers both significant opportunities and growing risks for Vietnamese shrimp exporters.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Recently, in Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province, the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) and the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) organized a workshop to announce the results of the project “Food Loss Assessment in the Pangasius Value Chain in the Mekong River Region.” The project aims to provide scientific evidence to support the sustainable development of Vietnam’s pangasius industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Shrimp prices in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta have recovered since early May, helping to improve farmers’ confidence and accelerate stocking activities for the 2026 farming season. However, farmers remain cautious due to rising input costs, unfavorable weather conditions, and disease risks.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On May 27, the Vietnam Trade Office in India, in collaboration with trade promotion agencies, industry associations, and businesses from both countries, organized the online seminar “Vietnam–India Seafood Trade Forum and Supply-Demand Connectivity 2026.” The event aimed to promote trade cooperation, investment, and seafood supply chain connectivity between Vietnam and India amid the ongoing restructuring of global markets.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In recent years, Ninh Binh Province has intensified the application of science and technology in aquaculture in order to improve productivity, product quality, and economic efficiency.
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