The Middle East includes 16 countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Turkey, UAE, Syria, Yemen and Egypt). With a surface of 7 million square meters, the region is home to 380 million of people and possesses various natural resources. It is a high-demand market for imported products, some of which are listed as key export items of Vietnam. Therefore, Vietnamese companies will have opportunities to boost trade with Middle East.
According to Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2012, Vietnam seafood exports to Middle East reached over US$4 billion, of which seafood products brought back US$193 million. Referring to statistics from Vietnamese Customs, pangasius sales to this destination was around US$185.9 million, representing 63 percent of total earnings from seafood exports. Saudi Arabia was the leading importer in the region, followed by Egypt. Only 5 out of 16 countries reported an annual import value of over US$10 million.
Middle East countries’ typical weather conditions are not appropriate to produce agricultural products, including seafood; therefore, they have a very high demand for shrimp, pangasius, canned tuna, sardine, canned mackerel and dried fish products.
According to International Trade Centre (ITC), in 2011 fish imports (HS03) into some Middle East countries got higher growth than that recorded in 2010. Saudi Arabia purchased US$310.1 million of seafood products, up 33 percent; Palestine with US$11.3 million, up 50 percent; Iran with US$75.8, up 31 percent... Middle East’s fish imports decreased due to current civil war in some countries, which made foreign exporters hesitant to send products to these markets.
Vietnamese seafood and, in particular, pangasius products have initially had position and prestige in the Middle East markets. Exports to some countries reported year-on-year growth.
Vietnam was listed in the top five suppliers, in the frozen fish fillet segment, in some Middle East countries. It ranked the fourth in Israel with an export value of US$13.2 million in 2012, up 95 percent over that of 2011. Over the years, Vietnam was Lebanon’s leading partner with a proportion of 75 percent in the country’ total pangasius purchase. In 2012, Vietnam sold US$10.8 million of fish products to this destination, down 17.8 percent on that of 2011. In Turkey, Vietnam ranked the third among frozen fish fillet suppliers within the four recent years. In 2012, exports to this country reached US$5.3 million, up 14% from 2011. It is important to note that Vietnam’s shares in Turkey’s frozen fish fillet segment increased considerably from 2 percent in 2008 to 20 percent in 2012.
(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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