In the first half of 2021, trade barriers from China and the decline in pangasius exports to the EU over the past several years have caused Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to shift to potential markets in ASEAN, the Middle East or Latin America. . In which, the number of enterprises promoting pangasius exports to Brazil and Mexico increased significantly compared to the previous year.
In the second quarter of 2021, the export value of pangasius to Mexico increased impressively to triple digits, from 166% to 232% over the same period in 2020.
Mexico is the market with the second highest per capita income in Latin America (after Brazil). Free trade system with relatively low import tax, ranging from 0-35% on average. This is also a market in the CPTPP bloc. According to the CPTPP Agreement, the import tax rate of seafood into the Mexican market will be 0% from the third year. Pangasius is the seafood product imported by Mexico with the largest volume and value, followed by fish tuna products. .
Currently, the average export price of frozen pangasius fillets to the Mexican market ranges from 1.75 to 1.82 USD/kg. Many pangasius enterprises moved from some other markets to Mexico, so by the end of July 2021, there were more than 40 Vietnamese seafood enterprises exporting pangasius to Mexico. The largest of which are: IDI CORP, NAVICO and DATHACO. Pangasius processing enterprises in Dong Thap, An Giang, Ben Tre, Can Tho and Vinh Long are promoting pangasius exports to the Mexican market.
Currently, Vietnam exports to Mexico mainly frozen pangasius fillets and frozen pangasius portion .
Like many other economies, at the end of August 2021, after more than 18 months of closure due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Mexico cautiously opened its economy and was ready to "live with Covid-19". Currently, Mexican importers have begun to stabilize production and gradually increase the amount of goods supplied to many big cities. The country is also maintaining an open border policy to take advantage of economic benefits, promote production and trade.
Seeing the potential ahead, however, the most necessary thing for Vietnamese pangasius exporters during this time is to soon return to stable production after the gap.
Hopefully, after social distancing efforts to control the disease in many localities, pangasius processing enterprises will soon stabilize again to maintain orders, create jobs for workers and capture promising opportunities for export to the Mexican market.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to CPTPP markets reached $264 million in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year-on-year and accounting for 17% of the nation’s total pangasius export turnover. In August alone, export value reached $34 million, inching up 3%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Golden pompano is being selected as a high-value species for the development of high-tech marine aquaculture in Lam Dong Province. In 2026, the provincial Agricultural Extension Center launched a golden pompano farming model using circular HDPE cages in Lien Huong Commune, opening opportunities to apply technology to marine farming at a scale suited to local coastal conditions.
(vasep.com.vn) The application of biotechnology in seed production is increasingly viewed as a strategic imperative to upgrade pangasius fingerling quality, optimize farming efficiency and anchor sustainable industry development.
(vasep.com.vn) On September 15, 2026, in Can Tho, VASEP and ASC jointly organized a training course titled “New ASC standards: updates and practical implementation guidance for farms, businesses and aquafeed mills”. Beyond briefing stakeholders on updated ASC requirements for aquaculture facilities and feed production, the workshop dedicated substantial floor time to directly addressing on-the-ground compliance bottlenecks encountered by Vietnamese enterprises.
(searfood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s tilapia exports continued to post positive results in the first eight months of 2026, with total export value reaching US$90 million, up 43% year-on-year. However, exports in August alone stood at US$11 million, down 8%, reflecting uneven market developments. Brazil remained the leading market, while Japan recorded notable growth, opening up new opportunities for Vietnamese tilapia products.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth has begun to slow and become more differentiated across markets, while the U.S. and EU continue to present significant challenges. The latest insights from the Global Shrimp Forum 2026 (GSF 2026), held in early September, also indicate that the final months of the year will remain highly competitive as global supply continues to expand and buyers increasingly focus on quality, product specifications, supply stability and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In August 2026, Vietnam’s seafood exports reached $1.14 billion, up 6% year on year. Cumulative eight-month exports rose 11.8% to $8.00 billion, though momentum has cooled compared to the 12.8% growth seen through July. China - Hong Kong and ASEAN are offsetting weakness in the U.S, EU and partly Japan. This divergence will likely widen in Q4 as trade tariffs and traceability requirements directly weigh on new orders.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam–Russia relations are entering a new phase of cooperation, with a focus on expanding trade, investment and economic connectivity. Against this backdrop, tuna is emerging as one of the seafood products with significant growth potential in the Russian market. Export data for the first seven months of 2026 show strong growth in Vietnamese tuna exports to Russia. However, turning this momentum into sustainable market share will require businesses to address challenges related to logistics, payment and supply competition.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese tilapia is moving into a higher-value segment as brackish-water farmed fish from the Mekong Delta is now being processed for sashimi and exported regularly to Japan.
(seafoo.vasep.com.vn) Ca Mau Province is stepping up efforts to protect aquatic resources and promote transparent and sustainable fisheries, joining the country’s efforts to have the European Commission (EC) remove its “yellow card” warning for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
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