Let's take a look back on 15- year development of Vietnamese pangasius. In 2000, the number of importing markets was limited at 8. The US and Japan were the destination for 83% of all exported pangasius. Export volume of the fish was 689 MT and the value was US$ 2.59 million. At that time, 100% of exported pangasius was frozen.
10 years after the incredible paced development, pangasius was imported into more than 140 markets, including the 5 biggest markets, namely EU, USA, Mexico, ASEAN and Russia. Pangasius exported to these markets accounted for 59% of total volume and 63.3% of total value of Vietnam’s pangasius exports. During this period, the volume of pangasius exported increased 970 times to over 660 thousand MT and export value increased 570 fold to US$ 1.42 billion.
In terms of products, pangasius exported in 2010 diverse into 30 kinds, ranging from whole, cut, fillets to breaded, potato wrapped potatoes , skewered and so on. The development continued with combination with vegetables and other ingredients to better serve each market. In 2010, processed products (under the code HS16) accounted for 0.75% of total pangasius export value. The Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany are where 70% of pangasius added value products exported to. Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, Pakistan are also markets for this type of product.
As of August, Vietnamese earned US$ 1.02 billion so far in 2015. There have been than 35 kinds of products. The proportion of frozen pangasius (HS 03) in total exports remained high at 98.89%, the other was processed. It is noted that 65% of processed pangasius has been headed for the EU market.
Promotions, branding and the launch of new products are the keys to the next development of the industry.
|
Pangasius exported from Vietnam Jan-Aug 2015 |
|||||||
|
Pangasius live/fresh/frozen/dried (coded HS03) |
Processed pangasius (coded HS 1604) |
||||||
|
No |
Markets |
Value (US$ mil ) |
Proportion (%) |
No |
Markets |
Value (US$ mil ) |
Proportion (%) |
|
1 |
US |
207.878 |
20.56 |
1 |
Netherlands |
3.941 |
34.87 |
|
2 |
China & Hong Kong |
99.641 |
9.85 |
2 |
UK |
2.350 |
20.79 |
|
3 |
Mexico |
54.066 |
5.35 |
3 |
Thailand |
1.049 |
9.28 |
|
4 |
Brazil |
46.504 |
4.60 |
4 |
UAE |
0.690 |
6.10 |
|
5 |
Saudi Arabia |
42.093 |
4.16 |
5 |
Singapore |
0.572 |
5.07 |
|
6 |
Colombia |
40.857 |
4.04 |
6 |
Germany |
0.514 |
4.55 |
|
7 |
Netherlands |
32.898 |
3.25 |
7 |
Saudi Arabia |
0.372 |
3.29 |
|
8 |
Spain |
30.952 |
3.06 |
8 |
China & Hong Kong |
0.301 |
2.67 |
|
9 |
Thailand |
30.702 |
3.04 |
9 |
Australia |
0.203 |
1.79 |
|
10 |
UK |
29.643 |
2.93 |
10 |
Israel |
0.200 |
1.77 |
|
Top 10 total |
615.233 |
60.84 |
Top 10 total |
10.192 |
90.19 |
||
|
Other markets |
396.003 |
39,16 |
Other markets |
1.109 |
9.81 |
||
|
Total |
1,011.236 |
100.00 |
Total |
11.301 |
100.00 |
||
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(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 - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
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