In August, pangasius exports to the US reached 33 million USD, up 45% over the same period. This result however does not reflect a positive trend because August 2021 is the time when pangasius exports plummeted due to the impact of the Covid pandemic. Pangasius sales to the US in August were slightly higher than in July 2022.
In the first 8 months of 2022, frozen pangasius fillets accounted for 87% of pangasius export value to the US. Vietnam exported about 94 thousand tons of frozen pangasius fillets to the US during this period. The average price of frozen pangasius fillets exported to the US in August 2022 remained high at 5 USD/kg. However, after reaching a high level from March to May with a volume of about 13.5-16 thousand tons/month, pangasius exports to this market began to slow down from June, falling to the lowest level in July and slightly recovered in August.
According to statistics of the US Department of Agriculture, in the first 7 months of this year, the US imported a total of 95.4 thousand tons of frozen pangasius, worth nearly US$ 403 million, up 35% in volume and 106% in value compared to the previous year.
Vietnam pangasius exports are expected to increase in the next coming months to serve the Chirstmas and New Year
In which, Vietnam's frozen pangasius exports to the US reached 88.2 thousand tons, worth 371 million USD, up 34% and 109% respectively over the same period last year. Vietnam accounts for over 92% of frozen pangasius imports to the US, both in volume and value.
The US also imports pangasius and catfish from China, Taiwan, Thailand and Brazil. In which, China accounts for about 5%, the remaining countries account for about 3%.
The average price of frozen pangasius imports into the US in the first 7 months of this year reached US$4.22/kg, up 53% over the same period last year. Particularly, the import price of frozen pangasius from Vietnam increased by 56% to 4.21 USD/kg.
Frozen pangasius fillets (HS code 030462) accounted for 96% of frozen pangasius imports into the US with over 91 thousand tons, worth 385 million USD. In which, imports from Vietnam reached 86.6 thousand tons, equivalent to 364 million USD.
In addition, the volume of whole/cut pangasius and catfish (HS code 030324) imported into the US accounted for only 1.3 thousand tons, equivalent to $5.8 million in value.
The increase in inventories, congestion at ports cause importers to start to reduce imports. Vietnam's frozen pangasius fillets exported to the US in August reached about 6.7 thousand tons, higher than July but much lower than in the first months of the year.
US pangasius imports will gradually increase in the coming months, when food price inflation in general and seafood in particular makes the US market more wobbly. Besides, the US will increase imports to meet the demands in Christmas and New Year.
Compiled by Thuy Linh
Vietnamese pangasius is gaining traction in Japan, where competitive prices and reliable supplies have helped the fish enter professional distribution channels and a major sushi chain.
(vasep.com.vn) A circular economy does not create a “new type of shrimp” or a new certification. Its value lies in helping the shrimp value chain use resources more efficiently, stabilize production, generate additional value from by-products and build the data and evidence needed to meet increasingly stringent market requirements. This was the perspective shared by VASEP at the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Forum on Promoting a Circular Economy in the Shrimp Industry in the Mekong Delta, held in Can Tho on September 21.
(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) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached $3.3 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 12% year on year. However, growth momentum is moderating and market divergece is becoming more pronounced, while the US 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 place greater emphasis on quality, product specifications, supply consistency and the ability to meet market-specific demand.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports continued to grow in August 2026, bringing total export value in the first eight months of the year to US$1.5 billion, up 10% year-on-year. August exports alone reached US$205 million, up 6%. However, market performance has become increasingly divergent, with China and Brazil posting positive growth while the U.S. continued to record a sharp decline.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached US$1.14 billion in August 2026, up 6.4% year on year, bringing the total for the first eight months to more than US$8.0 billion, an increase of 11.9%. Monthly export value remained above US$1 billion, but August growth was only around half the rate recorded cumulatively through the first eight months. This indicates that the eight-month result was supported significantly by stronger performance in earlier months, while market conditions are entering a less predictable period.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Pangasius is attracting growing interest from Japanese seafood companies as prices of many traditional whitefish species remain high and supply becomes increasingly volatile. Notably, seafood group Kyokuyo has recently continued to feature pangasius among its priority products, highlighting its competitive pricing and stable supply.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) As Vietnam’s tilapia industry searches for new growth opportunities, venturing into brackish-water aquaculture could unlock a formidable competitive moat. Bypassing the volume-and-price bloodbath against established global heavyweights, Vietnam could differentiate itself through high-quality tilapia products tailored to specific farming conditions and value-added market segments.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) 2026 is rapidly shaping up to be a formidable stress test for Vietnamese pangasius exports to the United States. While exports to alternative markets maintain a resilient growth trajectory, the U.S market has declined significantly. In the first eight months of the year, pangasius exports to the U.S fell by nearly 14% year-on-year, with August alone recording a decline of more than 50%. The trend shows that difficulties in the U.S. market are not driven solely by weak consumer demand, but also by multiple layers of trade barriers that are intensifying simultaneously, particularly additional import tariffs, anti-dumping duties and growing protectionism for the domestic catfish industry.
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