Germany is a big market for fish and fishery products with an annual consumption up to hundreds of tonnes. Frozen fish fillets made up the major part in terms of volume and value. Fish of all varieties and products are getting more popular and are seen as an alternative source of protein and healthy foods.
Imports of fish into Germany were increasing over ten years, but started to slide down since 2012. Imported fish products (HS03) totaled US$4.027 billion, 7.5 percent fewer than those in 2011, mainly due to economic downturn, which has still been weakening Germans’ consumption. The most favourist fishes are Alaska pollock, herring, salmon, tuna and pangasius.
In the first quarter of 2013, Germany sourced 4,877 MT of seafood products from 11 supplying countries, lower than 5,875 MT of the compatible quarter of 2012. It purchased most frozen pangasius fillets from Vietnam with a volume of 4,877 MT, lower than 5,373 MT volume registered a year ago.
Entries of some whitemeat fish species into this market have been on the upward trend. Between January and March 2013, Germany bought 38,018 MT of frozen fillets of Alaska pollock, up from 37,459 MT and 5,831 MT of frozen cod fillets, higher compared to the 5,548 MT registered in January - March 2012.
Pangasius imports declined in the first quarter of 2013 because consumption demand for seafood was still weak, while other whitemeat fish with decreasing prices were fully available in the market. Germany is a price-sensitive market; therefore, consumers are turning to eat other whitemeat fish species, which fell to lower prices. Additionally, whitemeat fish traders are strengthening promotion of their products.
German consumers are currently focusing on seafood quality and price, so they mostly eat products with high prestige and certification of quality. Government also encourages consumers to buy sustainable fish. Most of local retailers put sustainable products into their purchasing policies. Therefore, finding certified-fish producers and suppliers is one of the priorities of German seafdood importers.
The first ASC-certified fish products have been largely promoted by ASC in Europe. However, it must take more time to educate European consumers about the benefits of ASC certification and certified products. Germany is one of the first markets supporting the appearance of these products. Lenk Seafood, a local fish retailer, says that there are still not much people knowing about ASC fish, so sustainably certified-fish products, including pangasius, may see opportunities of development in the market.
|
Top five exporters of frozen fish fillets (HS0304) into Germany, MT |
|||
|
Origin |
January 2013 |
February 2013 |
March 2013 |
|
China |
12,934 |
11,264 |
10,486 |
|
Denmark |
3,501 |
2,742 |
3,012 |
|
The U.S. |
2,930 |
4,042 |
2,884 |
|
The Netherlands |
1,322 |
1,579 |
1,672 |
|
Vietnam |
1,840 |
2,250 |
1,554 |
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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