South Korea, Japan and the EU remain top 3 leading importers of Vietnam’s cephalopod with good growth in the recent months. In the first half of the year, shipments to both Japan and the EU decreased, however, in Jan-Oct 2016 that to these two markets showed the positive growth.
In the first 8 months of this year, imports of frozen octopus into the EU increased in both volume and average price. Accordingly, in the period, the EU imported 93,759 MT of frozen octopus, up from 75,346 MT in the same period of 2015. The average import price quoted at EUR5.89 per kg, up from EUR5.53 per kg in the same period of 2015. Meanwhile, exports to South Korea in Jan-Jun 2016 plummeted by 10%, but those in Jan-Oct declined by only 3.5% year on year.
In Oct 2016, South Korea remained the largest buyer of Vietnam’s cephalopod with the value of US$18.08 million, up 12.4% over the same period in 2015. The figure in Jan-Oct 2016 estimated at US$128.8 million, down 3.5% compared to the same period in 2015. Sales to Japan in Oct 2016 touched US$9.2 million, the figure in Jan-Oct 2016 was about US$85.2 million, up 0.5% from the same period in 2015. Japan currently account for 24.9% of Vietnam’s cephalopod exports. The EU ranked the 3rd with the share of 15.7% in total export turnover of Vietnam’s cephalopod.
Vietnam’s cephalopod exports to ASEAN in Oct 2016 were worth by US$5.1 million, up 5.8%. The figure in Jan-Oct 2016 estimated at US$40.5 million, down 11% compared to the same period in 2015. ASEAN remained the 4th largest importer, but the proportion in Jan-Oct 2016 was lower than that in the first half of the year, which fell from 13% in Jan-Jun 2016 to 11.8% in Jan-Oct 2016).
Up to now, the proportion of squid exports was larger than that of octopus. In the first 10 months of this year, Vietnam’s squid exports totaled US$198.4 million, accounting for 58.04%, while exports of octopus gained US$143.4 million, accounting for 41.9%. For squid items, shipments of live/fresh/frozen (HS code 03) reached the highest value of US$115.5 million, followed by dried/grilled squid (HS code 03) with US$70.9 million and other processed squid (HS code 16) with US$12.05 million. For octopus items, sales of dried/salted/live/fresh/frozen octopus (HS code 03) were worth by US$113.6 million, followed by processed octopus (HS code 16) with US$29.8 million.
|
Imports of frozen octopus (Octopus spp.) into the EU, Jan-Aug 2016/2015 (Source: Eurostat) |
||||
|
Suppliers |
Volume (MT) |
Average price (EUR/kg) |
||
|
2016 |
2015 |
2016 |
2015 |
|
|
Morocco |
42,716 |
33,496 |
7.05 |
6.63 |
|
Mauritania |
9,002 |
9,517 |
6.66 |
5.96 |
|
Spain |
10,576 |
6,484 |
5.35 |
4.70 |
|
Indonesia |
5,687 |
5,150 |
4.05 |
4.02 |
|
India |
4,230 |
3,324 |
2.16 |
2.49 |
|
Senegal |
2,446 |
3,758 |
5.39 |
4.90 |
|
Mexico |
3,275 |
2,386 |
4.07 |
4.59 |
|
Viet Nam |
2,630 |
2,343 |
2.88 |
2.98 |
|
Portugal |
2,917 |
734 |
6.66 |
5.81 |
|
Peru |
1,944 |
701 |
4.55 |
4.64 |
|
Tunisia |
760 |
1,142 |
6.26 |
6.14 |
|
Italy |
926 |
895 |
6.38 |
4.65 |
|
Algeria |
806 |
559 |
3.31 |
3.10 |
|
Chile |
635 |
321 |
4.43 |
4.46 |
|
Madagascar |
493 |
454 |
4.59 |
4.00 |
|
Kenya |
527 |
420 |
4.15 |
4.75 |
|
Ghana |
490 |
355 |
5.53 |
4.99 |
|
China |
239 |
578 |
4.78 |
4.93 |
|
Tanzania |
405 |
390 |
5.36 |
5.63 |
|
Egypt |
372 |
420 |
3.26 |
3.00 |
|
The Netherlands |
449 |
273 |
4.70 |
5.78 |
|
Thailand |
386 |
319 |
3.65 |
4.00 |
|
France |
455 |
55 |
5.16 |
4.17 |
|
Philippines |
278 |
224 |
3.41 |
3.66 |
|
Belgium |
215 |
248 |
5.61 |
4.65 |
|
Mozambique |
128 |
107 |
3.89 |
4.41 |
|
The U.S. |
22 |
193 |
3.69 |
2.34 |
|
Malaysia |
190 |
11 |
4.01 |
2.70 |
|
Guinea Bissau |
56 |
122 |
2.73 |
2.73 |
|
Denmark |
43 |
122 |
8.57 |
7.91 |
|
The UK |
146 |
16 |
2.41 |
6.91 |
|
Others |
318 |
230 |
5.48 |
4.89 |
|
Total |
93,759 |
75,346 |
5.89 |
5.53 |
Written by Ngoc Thuy
Compiled by Dieu Thuy
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As of the end of August 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the United States reached $21 million, representing a steep 48% year-over-year decline and accounting for 23% of the country's total tilapia export turnover. Frozen fillets accounted for 78% with the remainder consisting of whole frozen tilapia and frozen cuts.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) After a volatile first half of the year, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Brazil registered robust growth in July and August 2026. In August alone, export turnover reached $19 million, surging 73% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulatively for the first eight months, total export value reached $124 million, reflecting an 8% year-over-year increase.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Besides modifying their boats, many fishermen in Dak Lak province are making efforts to venture out to sea to harvest seafood during the rough sea season.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the Responsible Seafood Summit and TCRS Shrimp Summit 2026, organized by the GSA (Global Seafood Alliance) in Bangkok, Thailand, the conversation about the future of the shrimp industry began with one of its most important foundations: seedstock quality.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn