By the end of October 2023, shrimp accounted for 38% of seafood export turnover with a value of over 2.8 billion USD, down 24% over the same period last year. In October alone, shrimp exports reached 320 million USD, down 11% compared to October 2022.
Shrimp exports in the last months of 2023 and in 2024 depend largely on fluctuations in the US market. Shrimp import volume began to recover, however, shrimp import prices in the US were still much lower than the same period last year. Falling import prices not only affect Vietnam's exports, but the Indian shrimp industry also struggles.
The seafood industry has had a worldwide shrimp surplus for more than a year. In the US, EU and China, average import prices in 2023 fell by 13.4%, 10% and 2.7% respectively. It is forecasted that the consumption and import situation in the US will be better in November and December.
Pangasius exports in October reached 189 million USD, a slight increase of 5% over the same period in 2022. Accordingly, by the end of October, pangasius exports reached over 1.5 billion USD, down 28% over the same period last year. It seems that pangasius exports are showing more positive signs, after positive information about the US market. After the FSIS inspection program, Vietnamese pangasius was rated good for food safety. In addition, preliminary results for the 19th review (POR19) for Vietnamese frozen pangasius filets exported to the US from August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 had much lower tax rates than the previous period. Although not the final result, this is good news for Vietnamese pangasius exporters to the US market.
The US market's demand for pangasius is also recovering. Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking to purchase 5.96 million pounds of frozen pangasius and catfish filets for use in domestic food distribution programs. This is the ministry's third largest catfish purchase in 2023, following the purchase of 6.2 million pounds of unbreaded catfish filets for a total of USD 41.8 million (EUR 38 million) in March.
China’s demand for pangasius has decreased significantly since the beginning of 2023, but sales of breaded pangasius filets are showing signs of improvement in this market...In the first 8 months of this year, China imported 11,900 tons of pangasius from Vietnam, down 41% over the same period last year. However, sales of fried Pangasius filets are still increasing, as this product appears more and more on restaurant menus in Northern China at prices of 5.47 - 6.83 USD/serving. This product also received positive feedback from Chinese consumers.
Tuna and crab exports in October tended to be more positive with double-digit growth, up 13% and 40% respectively over the same period, reaching 87 million USD and 28 million USD. By the end of October, tuna brought in 704 million USD, down 20%, and crab earned 164 million USD, down 12% than the same period last year.
Squid, octopus and shellfish products still maintained negative growth of 10-13% in October. Accumulated in the first 10 months of the year, squid and octopus exports recorded sales of over 540 million USD, down 14%, shellfish of over 109 million USD, down 10%. Exports of other marine fish except tuna reached about 1.6 billion USD, down 8%, in October alone reached 166 million USD, down 11%.
Consumption of tuna, squid, octopus and some high-class seafood continues to be affected by economic downturns, high inflation, and cautious consumer spending. In order for most consumers to still have access to popular and high-class seafood products, seafood processors and traders are tending to package products in smaller sizes, at prices suitable for all income classes. This trend is expected to stimulate better demand for seafood in the near future.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The first six months of 2026 indicate that Vietnam’s tilapia industry is entering a new phase of development, with strong export growth but also greater demands for production scale, quality and international competitiveness.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.
(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.
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